Kiss Me Once, Kiss Me Twice
by TalysAlankil
Summary: Riku's a street rat, stuck living in poverty in the Earth district of the city-kingdom of Ilysoir. Life is rough, between trying to steal enough to survive the day and avoid the city watch and rival street thugs, especially for a thirteen-year-old. So when a new kid shows up in the streets, Riku needs nothing less than to have to keep him alive.
1. Prologue

"Hey! Watch where you're going, kid!"

Riku instinctively flinched at the voice, even if it was coming from too far away to be directed at him. He still knew its owner—Aeleus, captain of the city watch in charge of the Earth District. Too often, that warning _had_ been addressed to Riku—and quickly followed by a beating.

Just a few seconds later, a tiny figure all in brown dashed down the street towards Riku, the guard on his tail. Groaning, Riku stepped away from the nearest merchant stall—he'd been _so close!_ —and tried to blend in with the crowd.

That was without counting on the guard's actual target, who barreled into Riku head first, sending them both crashing to the packed earth below.

" _You!_ I should've known you were involved in this!"

" _Fuck's sake_ ," Riku swore. Aeleus had recognized him. And, well, he _had_ just been about to steal something, but he had nothing to do with that other kid.

"I'm so sorry!" The kid said as he tried—in vain—to scramble to his feet. The brown cloak he wore, which hid most of his face, also seemed to make it hard for him to move. And the less he could move, the less Riku, pinned under him, could either.

"Get _off_ ," Riku said. He reached under the cloak, and pushed the kid off of him. Aeleus had just about broken through the crowd, and all of Riku's instincts told him to high-tail it out of here before the batons came out—if not something worse.

But after Riku had taken a few steps between passersby, he couldn't help but turn back. Aeleus wasn't even looking at him, his fist closed on the other boy's forearm and pulling him up to his feet. Judging by the boy's yelps, Aeleus was being as gentle as he always was. And there was the fact that the captain had gone after him instead of Riku. Whatever the boy had done, it must have been bad to distract him from his favorite target.

Riku had been in the boy's place enough not to wish this fate on anyone, and he couldn't help himself: he went back. "Hey, Captain! Why don't you let him go?"

Aeleus finally considered him again. "Shut up, you punk! I'll get to you in a moment."

"In a moment? Are you sure _this_ doesn't take priority?" Riku held out the trinket he'd pilfered from under the boy's cloak. Some kind of jewelry, he'd recognized by touch, even though he hadn't had the time to look at it in detail. He'd taken it more or less as a reflex.

"Wha—hey, how did you—?" The boy sounded indignant. "This is mine!"

"You shut up too, thief," Aeleus spat. Then, to Riku, "Give it back, punk. This ain't your usual apple. I won't just give you a beating if I have to catch you with this. This is bad enough to get the entire watch on your ass."

His words gave Riku pause, and he briefly considered the item he'd just stolen. It looked like a pendant of some kind, with a symbol of a crown hanging from it. It didn't seem that precious, and yet, if it was that valuable— "It's worth enough to get out of this shithole," he said, half realizing it for himself.

"You'll get shanked first, boy." He seemed a little scared himself, his hand clasped around the boy's arm so hard his joints were white, and he looked reluctant to try and get the jewel back from Riku by force. "Just give it back, and I'll let this one slide."

Riku scoffed. "Yeah, I've heard that one before." Aeleus had never once kept his word on this. "Tell you what: you let my friend go, and then I'll give you the bauble back and we all go our separate ways."

He was stalling, yet to his surprise, Aeleus nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna let the little thief go. But don't even think about running." He closed his free hand around the handle of his weapon—not his baton, but his deadly axe-sword. Riku couldn't help but gulp nervously at the sight of the weapon's massive blade hanging at the guard's hip.

Aeleus released his grip on the boy, and for a moment, nobody moved; the boy just rubbed his arm. Desperately, Riku nodded at him a couple times, then when it didn't seem to get the message across, couldn't help but hiss, " _Get outta here, you moron!_ "

Startled, the boy hesitated for another moment, then scuttled—straight towards Riku, to hide behind him. Riku sighed, but that was really all he could ask for.

He stepped forward, slowly, hoping to give Aeleus no reason to take his weapon out until he was out of reach. When he was just a step away from Aeleus, close enough to smell his pungent scent, the captain held out an expectant hand.

"Catch," Riku said, and he tossed the pendant in the air as hard as he could.

They must have played this game dozens of times by now, and it worked every time without fail. Aeleus yelped in shock and scrambled to catch the jewel, which would give Riku time to run. This time, though, he didn't intend to run empty-handed. He closed the space between them, reached for Aeleus's baton on his unguarded side, grabbed it, and jammed it into the captain's flank. He didn't have a lot of strength, but the surprise and his own momentum were enough to send Aeleus barreling back into the crowd, frozen in awe at their struggle.

Riku didn't wait to see what they'd do: he dropped the baton, caught the pendant before it hit the ground, and ran the other way. Noticing the boy hadn't moved either, he grabbed his arm with his free hand, dragging him through the crowd behind him.

"Hey!" the boy protested, but Riku ignored him. At least the boy could keep up, it seemed.

A few minutes and several turns through narrow alleys later, Riku dashed under a fence into the inner courtyard of an abandoned patrician's house—one of his many hideouts in the district. There, he allowed himself to stop running; Aeleus didn't know of this hiding place yet, he was pretty sure. He placed a wooden plank in front of the opening, then turned to look at the boy he'd rescued against his better sense.

The cloak he was wearing hid his entire body, but now that he wasn't focused on Aeleus, Riku noted that beneath its ugly brown color, it was made of cloth far too nice for the Earth district—thick and velvety, Riku remembered from his brief contact with it. Before he could wonder about it, the boy pulled his hood back a little, and Riku got his first good look at his face. The boy had striking blue eyes, and short brown hair—messy, but too evenly to be anything but intentional. His features held a soft roundness that, combined with his short stature, made Riku certain he couldn't be any older than Riku himself was at thirteen years old—in fact, he was probably younger still.

"You need to be more careful," he said. "You won't survive long in the streets if you can't avoid getting caught by the city watch."

"I've survived this long," the boy retorted.

Riku merely scoffed. "And how long is 'this long', exactly? A month? A week? Less?"

The boy pouted. "That obvious, huh?"

"We've all started somewhere," Riku said, shrugging. "What happened?"

The boy averted his gaze, but he looked tearful anyway. "I'm just…new." It wasn't an answer, but Riku knew better than to press him. Few children who ended up on the streets had a good reason, and fewer still liked to share theirs. Riku certainly wouldn't have answered the question if _he'd_ been asked.

"If you want to last long enough until you're _not_ new, try to be more careful in the future," Riku offered. "And aim lower for what you're going to steal. The cloak is a bit much already, but this pendant?" Riku took it out of his pocket, examining it more closely in the sunlight. "Come on, I wouldn't even go for something like this. Bet I can't even find anyone who'll buy it from me for full price in the Earth district."

"I didn't _steal_ these," the boy said.

"Of course you didn't. Nobody _wants_ to be a thief at first. You just took what you needed, right?"

"No, I mean they're mine. I'd like this back, by the way."

Riku chuckled. "I'm sure you would," he teased, without even bothering to look up from his examination. There was a carving behind the crown, he noticed—a marking that looked familiar, even if he couldn't place it. He also spotted a mechanism; when he tugged at it, the crown folded in two along its middle, and a tiny key appeared from within the pendant. "This is some nice shit. No wonder the cap looked so desperate to get it back."

"I—seriously, give it back. Look, my name's Sora, and I'm—"

"Is that your trick?" Riku kept examining the pendant, but he found nothing more of interest on it. "You tell people your name so they feel attached to you and they let you steal their shit? Ain't gonna work on me." He pocketed the pendant, and walked towards the house across the courtyard. He'd set up a few things there for him to sleep when he could. Of course, he'd planned to eat there too, but that wasn't happening today, thanks to the kid—to Sora. "Wait here for at least another hour, then leave the way we came. You have until morning to be gone. You should be grateful I even let you come here to escape the cap. No one should know about this place."

"Wait!" Riku had no intention to do so, but the noise he heard next forced him to look back at the boy. He was kneeling on the ground, crying openly. "I—you can't take the pendant!"

"Playing the emotional value card, huh?"

"No, I—you don't understand! I can't _lose_ this pendant! Please!"

Riku blinked, and shifted uneasily. For a kid who was obviously new, he _was_ good at this. Unless he wasn't that new to the streets at all. "Sorry, Sora. Really. But _I_ can't give it back to you either. You cost me my dinner already, you know, _and_ I saved your life, so it's a fair bargain."

"I'll—I'll do _anything_ —"

Riku couldn't bear to look at Sora's crying face for another moment—he didn't trust himself not to give in if he did. "If we ever meet again, don't run into me," he said, and went inside the abandoned house, making sure to lock the door behind him.

* * *

All night, he heard Sora crying through the door and broken windows, but Sora made no further attempt to plea with him. And in the morning, Sora was gone, as per Riku's instructions. Yet Riku still remembered the way he'd been crying, and he couldn't help but feel bothered about keeping the pendant. His instincts, sharpened from years on the streets, told him it was all an act. But it had been a damn convincing one.

His sense of guilt still kept him from looking for a buyer immediately. He tried to rationalize it, like he was just making sure he found someone who could buy the pendant at full price, but he didn't even look at all that day.

And then, in the evening, just one street away from the patrician's abandoned house, clamors caught his attention again. Three thugs he knew all too well, surrounding a tiny figure crumpled up on the ground. Fuu kicked the boy even though he was already down, and the other two snickered.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Riku called out. "This is _my_ turf. We settled this."

"Oh, hey, it's the tiny terror of the Earth district!" Seifer teased. "Yeah, we settled this, but I decided I'm not okay with it. So we're here to…re-negotiate." He nodded at the boy on the ground, who Riku realized was Sora, though the brown cloak was nowhere to be seen, and the clothes he were looked more like fancy pajamas than street clothes. "New kid said he knew where we could find you, but then he wouldn't take us to you. Friend of yours?"

"I don't _make_ friends," Riku said, though he heard his own voice break under the tension. Seifer and his two companions were older, stronger, and Riku had the pendant hidden under his shirt. If he lost it to _those_ guys, it'd be even worse than if he'd given it back to Sora. He couldn't beat them in a fight—never had—but he couldn't give up on his turf, either. Or let them beat someone up _on_ his turf. "Why don't you leave? Don't want a repeat of last time."

"I'm not worried we'll do a repeat," Seifer said, already taking a step towards him.

Riku groaned, but his plan was already in motion. He ran _towards_ Seifer, who had obviously been expecting him to run away. Taken by surprise, Seifer couldn't catch him when he ducked, nor could Rai when he slid on the ground, right next to his feet. He paused next to Sora, wrapped an arm under the boy's arms, and dragged him off the ground. Sora barely responded at first, but after a few steps, he seemed to regain some vitality.

"Stick to the left wall," Riku whispered in his ear. He wasn't sure Sora registered, but the boy actually took off on his own and ran ahead, just in time for Fuu to aim a punch at Riku from behind.

Riku rolled on the ground to dodge, grabbed a handful of the fresh dirt beneath him and threw it straight to her eyes, before dashing off, sticking to the right wall. He thought he heard three sets of footsteps behind him, but it was hard to tell and he didn't want to look back to check. He couldn't miss his own tells—

There. Shortly before the corner, as he passed a damaged plank in the fence, he ducked, passing under a thin wire he'd placed there in the morning. Fuu and Rai both got caught in it, tripping and landing on the ground, and blocking the alley. Seifer managed to jump over them, though, so as he turned the corning, Riku tapped another board in the fence. It broke another wire above them, dropping a large stone on top of Seifer. But if the sounds were any indication, it had missed its mark, only making Seifer slow down a little.

That was all Riku really needed, even if he'd preferred to hit Seifer with his trap. He knelt right behind the corner, curling into a ball. Seifer barreled into him, unable to stop, and tripped over Riku's body, triggering a third trap as he did. This one dragged a scaffolding across the alleyway, sending it crashing down on top of Seifer and pinning him down.

"Shit!" Seifer yelled. "Bitch stabbed me!"

Riku got back to his feet, and noticed that a sharper part of the scaffolding had indeed made its way through Seifer's arm. "You'll get over it," Riku teased. "Just stay the fuck away—let's not do this a third time, okay?"

There wasn't much time for gloating; already he could hear Fuu and Rai coming to their senses. Before they could catch him, he dashed under a pile of crates, hiding him but giving him a full view of the alley. Across from him was his hideout's entrance, and he could see Sora peering out from under it. Riku prayed he wouldn't attract attention, but when Fuu and Rai showed up, they focused on helping Seifer free from the scaffolding, and bandaged his wound. Seifer swore profusely, but when they didn't see either Riku or Sora in the alley, Seifer gave up with loud declarations of revenge.

Once they were gone for good, Riku dashed into his hideout, closing the fence behind him, then turning to Sora. The boy was crumpled on the ground, leaning against the fence as if he'd collapsed on the spot from exhaustion. His face sported several bruises—from Seifer's gang, and maybe others before that, if his absent cloak was any indication. Those would heal, though. Blood trickled from his earlobe, though, and Riku was sure that would leave a scar.

"You—you saved me," Sora said, sounding surprised—and infinitely more exhausted than the previous day.

"Wasn't going to let Seifer challenge me," Riku said, feigning nonchalance, but unable to keep it up. "And—yeah, I saved you. That's twice now, against my better judgment."

Sora managed a sardonic smile. "Are you saying you like me?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "I know what it's like to get beaten up by Aeleus or Seifer's gang. Wasn't about to let someone else go through that."

"Really? So you help everyone else, too?"

Riku glared at him. "And here I was, about to offer to share some of the dinner I actually managed to steal today, since you weren't there to disturb me." He really _had_ been about to offer, though he still had no clue as to why. "Guess it'll be all for me, if you're going to keep being a nuisance." He walked away at an overly slow and dramatic pace, as if to demonstrate.

"Dinner—? Hey, no, wait, I'm sorry!"

Smirking, Riku turned around. Sora was holding his own stomach dramatically, as if to emphasize his own hunger. "You'll never survive he streets," Riku said, just as he was realizing it himself. It would probably be more merciful to just let him out on his own. "But—I guess since I saved you twice, if I let you die now, it'll mean I did it in vain."

A tentative smile—genuine, this time—formed on Sora's lips. "Thanks?"

Riku went to the stash he'd filled earlier in the day, picked up a burnt loaf of bread and two bruised apples, and came to sit by Sora, offering an apple and half of the loaf. "It's not much, but it's more than I usually manage to steal, so don't expect it to get better," he warned.

"Then—shouldn't we save some of it?"

"Save it?" Riku let out a wry chuckle. "Tomorrow we might not even be able to come back here. City watch might remember this place exists, and raid it. Or someone else might find it for themselves, and steal what I stole. Or there'll be a fire in the neighborhood. Or—who knows what else. You don't live on the streets and _save_. That's for people who have a certain future." He paused, and examined Sora's face again. "You really _are_ new, huh?"

Sora nodded. "My mom died yesterday."

He didn't offer more, and Riku still didn't want to ask. The more Sora told him, the more they might feel like _friends_ , and that wasn't about to happen. He looked for words of comfort, but those felt foreign to him, and nothing came to mind. Still, when Sora pressed closer to him, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, hoping that was enough.

"Seriously," Sora said. "Thanks for saving me."

"I still don't know why I did it," Riku said.

"I don't know why I came back here, either. But I'm glad I did."

And then he leaned in and up, pressing his lips against Riku's. Stunned, Riku didn't react at first, then, even more confusingly, he found himself returning the kiss, bending his head and pulling Sora closer against him to make it easier on him.

It was his first kiss—and Sora's too, he guessed—and it wasn't much, but Riku still felt out of breath when hey broke away. Before he could say anything, Sora grinned. "Even if you didn't give me my pendant back," he said, accusingly.

In a brief flash of panic, Riku checked that the pendant still hung around his neck—and found that it did. Still, he refused to be taken aback by something as stupid as a kiss. "Still insisting that it's yours, huh?" Riku teased back. "I remember the engraving, you know. It's a nobility seal."

"Yep."

Forced into silence again, Riku stared at Sora, wheels turning in his mind. Before, he could ask, a voice came from over the fence.

"This is the place. Tear it up, boys!"

 _Aeleus_. "Shit," Riku let out in a whisper. Seifer must have told him about their scuffle in he alley, as revenge for Riku slipping away. He should have known better than to stay here.

"What can we do?"

"That's the only exit," Riku said. "The house is condemned on the street side—"

He tried to think of something, but before he could, something crashed through the fence, making Riku jump to his feet, and Sora with him. It took a moment to recognize Aeleus's axe-sword; obviously, the captain had decided to take a shortcut in his search.

Another crash, and the weapon tore a man-sized hole into the fence. Guards poured into he courtyard, surrounding Sora and Riku, and Aeleus came in after them. " _Finally_ ," he spat, his eyes locked on Riku. He slung his axe-sword over his shoulder, ready to strike. "I'm not letting you get away this—"

"Stop!" Sora yelled, stepping between the two of them, his right arm spread out to the side.

"That voice—you're that kid!" Aeleus said. But then, his gaze drifted to Sora's arm, uncovered without his brown cloak, and his eyes opened wide. "Wait—"

"My name is Sora," he said, and though he sounded just as frail and unsure as a few moments ago. "Stand down."

Aeleus glanced back at some of other guards, exchanging a confused glance. "I—but you can't be—"

"Captain Aeleus, I'm sure there's an order to bring my back home safely. Do it, and let this boy go, and I won't report who gave me the bruises on my arms."

The captain's eyes went wide, and even Riku, who had no idea what was going on, understood that whoever Sora was able to report to, they could get Aeleus in major trouble. "B-but he's a thief—"

"Don't question me," Sora insisted, and though he still didn't sound very confident, the captain gave in.

"Yes, of-of course. Guards, prepare an escort to the royal palace!"

The guards gathered around Sora, though their menacing attitude was gone. "I'll just need a minute alone," Sora said, but Aeleus shook his head.

"With all due respect, I couldn't forgive myself if left you out of my sight until you're home safe." Sora opened his mouth—to protest, no doubt—but Aeleus insisted. " _Your grandfather_ wouldn't forgive me, either."

"My—" Sora cut himself off, sighing. "You're right." He turned to Riku, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry about all this. Maybe we can meet again?"

Riku blinked at him, dazed and still trying to puzzle out what was happening. "Sure," he said, but when glanced at Aeleus, he knew this truce between them was only temporary. The moment Sora was gone, Riku would have to give up on this place, like all the others before it. Still, he smiled to Sora. "Who knows?"

Sora smiled back, then walked out, surrounded by the guards.

That was the last time Riku saw Sora for the next thirteen years.


	2. Act One

At some point between his arrest and being dragged to the royal palace, Riku had somehow stopped feeling pain. From the multiple beatings he'd suffered from over the past few hours, to the shackles around his wrists, to the uncomfortable pull of the chains on his arms as the two guards escorting him dragged him into the throne room.

Riku was faintly aware that the lack of pain probably wasn't a good sign for his general health, but it was hard to bring himself to care.

Things moved in flashes of awareness, his focus pulled to tiny detail and unable to make out the overall picture. The guards in the room, so different in their pristine armors form the city watch in the Earth District. The stained glass windows. The white—so white, painfully bright—paint on the walls and tiled floor. The bright carpet.

Stray locks of hair fell into Riku's eyes, and he tried to blow them away, with only moderate success. In his partly obstructed sight, though, the throne appeared, as well as the man sitting on it.

The King was young; but Riku already knew that much—the coronation festivities had reached even the Earth district. Their prince, who had barely just come of age and been coronated on his twenty-fifth birthday. Now he got to oversee his first criminal trial, on the very next day. If Riku had been in better shape, he probably would have tried to greet the King with a cheery "Happy birthday!" As he was, though, the mere idea of talking was painful.

A herald spoke. "You stand before His Majesty, the ninety-first King of Ilysoir." The guards let go of his chains, and Riku crumpled to the floor, barely managing to scramble to his knees. "You're on trial for the crimes of theft, larceny, burglary, trespassing, forgery, counterfeiting, and fraud, all on more counts than could be feasibly established with accuracy."

Riku managed a smirk at that. A lot of fancy words, considering all they described were the simple needs of a life on the streets.

However, the herald wasn't finished. "And one count of murder. How do you plead?"

"Mur—" His throat felt too dry to produce a sound. He coughed, only to feel blood in his mouth. He spat it out, earning himself a satisfying gasp from his audience, and tried once again to blow the hair out of his eyes. He was more successful this time, and looked up at the King. "Murder? I never murdered anyone."

With his sight cleared, he got a better look at the King. A young man, indeed, with a mess of brown hair and stunning blue eyes. Someone must have selected the jewel on his crown to match their color—Riku refused to believe it was an accident. The rest of his body disappeared under the thick, red cape hanging from his shoulders. An intriguing, if confusing choice. Then again, the royal family of Ilysoir didn't even disclose their names to the public—maybe this was part of the same attitude.

"So you confess to the other charges?" the King said. His tone was uncertain—like it was an actual question, not a trap Riku had fallen into.

The herald had a moment of hesitation, but when no one else spoke, he continued with what was likely a script—one from which the King had deviated. "You are accused of murdering the man named Seifer, a street gangster with his own long list of crimes."

A woman standing behind the throne, clad in blue, scoffed. "Shouldn't we congratulate him for that?" she asked in a low voice—though still audible to Riku, and likely to everyone else as well.

Riku didn't care for her wit, though. "I didn't kill Seifer. _He_ beat _me_ up! That's how Cap caught me at all!" As if old Aeleus could have arrested him otherwise. "I couldn't have killed anyone while I was out of it."

A frown crossed the King's brow. "But you _are_ a thief," he said once again.

Anger bubbling below the surface, Riku's patience gave out. "From where I stand, _you're_ the thief!" He immediately realized he hadn't helped his case when he heard the scandalized noises the audience made. Still, he refused to back down. "What do you think got you this palace? This life? You didn't get it by chance, or by magic, or because you _earned_ it." He was cut off by another coughing fit, and again, ended up spitting blood on the floor. "I steal because it's the only way for me to survive," he said, looking the King dead in the eyes. "What's _your_ excuse?" He remained perfectly still, content to watch the King squirm on his throne. Then, without losing his composure, he added, "But I'm _not_ a killer. Not even in self-defense." He managed a scoff. "As if I'd need to kill Seifer to get him off my back."

The King stared at him—or rather, his gaze flickered all over Riku, too nervously to keep still. Then he turned to his herald. "Who caught this man?" he asked.

The herald skimmed the sheet of paper in his hands. "Captain Aeleus, Earth District, Your Majesty."

"Does his report match this—this man's claims?"

"I—yes, your Majesty."

"Then why does he stand accused of a murder he couldn't have committed?

"Your Majesty, if I may—" A man in armor, standing in front of the throne, turned back to address the King. "I'm sure the city watch did their duty in identifying the culprit."

"Thank you for your input, General Xemnas, but it doesn't answer my question."

Riku was familiar with that name. General Xemnas, who commanded the kingdom's army—and the city watch. Aeleus's superior. It made sense that he'd stand up for him. "What I mean, Your Majesty, is that your time is too valuable to waste on such a…"—he eyed Riku with unveiled disgust—"waste of a man."

"Isn't he a citizen of my kingdom?" The King turned back to the herald. "What's his name?"

The herald skimmed at his papers again. "I—don't know, Your Majesty."

The King rolled his eyes, his frustration apparent to all. "What's your name?" he asked again, this time directly to Riku.

Riku didn't feel much like answering, but the looming guards on both sides of him weren't a very appealing sight, either. "Riku," he simply said.

The herald made a shocked noise. "That's 'Your Majesty' to—"

"Riku," the King said, cutting him off. He sounded—wistful.

Then, to Riku's surprise—and everyone else in the throne room, it seemed—the King stood from his throne. His guards immediately shifted their stance, as if expecting an attack, but the King merely stepped down from the dais, dismissing his guards with a wave of his hand, and knelt in front of Riku until they were eye to eye.

"Do you swear to me you didn't kill that man?"

The gaze of his blue eyes felt too intense to hold, yet Riku didn't think he could have broken away. "Yes," he said. "Seifer beat me up and ran away. I passed out and your guards caught me."

The King nodded. "I believe you."

"Your Majesty—" General Xemnas started, indignant.

"There's clearly more investigating to be done," the King said. Still kneeling, he turned to look back at the general—and Riku couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the scar on his earlobe. "Perhaps it would be best not to leave it in the hands of the city watch alone, General Xemnas." Then, to the guards by Riku's side, "Remove these shackles."

The woman who had spoken earlier was the one who protested, this time. "Your Majesty, even if he's telling the truth, you shouldn't let him go until the investigation is complete. And he's still guilty of many _other_ crimes."

"I'm not letting him go." He stood up, and addressed his guards next. "Take him to a guest chamber."

* * *

There were more protests after that, but the guards took Riku away before he could hear most of them. Two guards led him away, with a gentle demeanor Riku had never known any _guards_ to be capable of. One of them had to help him walk, keeping a hold under Riku's arms to prop him up, and neither of them acted hostile towards him. And yet, like the woman had pointed out, he wasn't exactly someone they should have trusted.

So why the difference in treatment? Were these guards just nicer than the pair who'd taken him to the throne room? Or did they trust their new King's judgment this much?

The King. Riku had recognized his scar—his eyes, too. The age matched; Riku was twenty-six years old, the King twenty-five. Yet he had trouble wrapping his mind around the possibility. It couldn't be the same person as the boy in the streets. It just _couldn't_.

The thoughts buzzed in his pounding head, and Riku decided it was more than he could manage to care about. He wasn't dead, wasn't even in trouble for now. What more could he really ask for?

When they arrived, Riku realized his expectations had been far too low. Opening a set of double doors, the guards showed him to a bedroom that looked wider than entire houses Riku had squatted in before. To his left, a table large enough for a dozen people to sit at. To his right, couches and a bookshelf. In one of the far corners of the room lay a luxurious bed, with thick blankets and fluffy pillows resting on top of it. And in the other corner, a glistening white tub, steam rising from it.

It was all in the King's colors—white and red and black. None of this was for Riku; it _couldn't_ be meant for someone like him. Yet the guards sure seemed to believe it was all intended for him.

"The King requested you be washed and dressed," one of them said, a blond young man slightly younger than Riku. "If you need servants to help you with it—"

"I can take care of myself," Riku couldn't help but snap. The very thought of someone helping him with washing and dressing sounded ludicrous— _revolting_ , even.

"Very well," the guard said, unfazed. "I do have to inform you that you are required to remain in your chamber until the King has passed judgment on you. We will be locking the door, but you can ring if you need anything." He paused. "I'd advise against ringing as an attempt to escape. There will be guards stationed outside the room at all times."

Riku glanced at him, unable to hold back a scoff. "So much for 'guest' chamber, huh?" It beat the prison cell he'd been in since he'd been arrested during the celebrations of the King's coronation, but that was still what this was—a prison.

The guard ignored his sarcasm, and simply stepped out of the room. The clicking of the door being locked was distinctly audible behind him, and sent a rush of anger down his spine. Riku was alone, and trapped in this room.

He didn't care much for the King's 'request', but when his eyes fell upon the tub, Riku couldn't resist its call. He hadn't had the opportunity to bathe in a warm bath in—Riku couldn't even remember how long. Most days, he was lucky if he could just splash some water on his face. In his current state, after his stay in the King's actual prisons, he could definitely use a bath.

His shoes barely even qualified as such anymore; he didn't take them off so much as he let them fall apart and off his feet. The holes in his pants had reopened, he noticed as he discarded them to the floor, wincing at the thought of the time it had taken to steal sewing supplies to fix them the first time. As for his shirt, it looked more like a rag, stained with dried blood and torn apart. The city watch had _not_ been kind to him, but their batons could still rip at cloth and flesh if they came at the right angle, and their armored boots were even harsher weapons.

That was all that was left on his back. In midsummer, Riku had no use for a coat, even though he kept one in each of his hideouts, just in case. As for underwear—Riku hadn't had an opportunity to steal any in a few months. His last pair of briefs had given way long ago, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd even _worn_ socks.

As he stood naked in the too-wide space of the chamber, his wounds came back to the forefront of his mind. There was a vanity against the wall, next to the tub, and a full-body mirror next to that. Riku walked to it and inspected his reflection, finding with relief that none of his cut seemed to have festered. The worst of it was a large bruise near his stomach; Riku wheezed in pain just from touching it. At least, he though, his mind had cleared enough to register pain by now.

He fingers grasped at the pendant hanging around his neck. In thirteen years, he had never found it in himself to sell it away; its engraving puzzled him, and every time he even thought about selling it, he remembered the sound of the boy's sobs that one night. Which probably meant his current trouble was all his fault. All those years, he could have just become rich off of this one trinket, and spent the rest of his days comfortably.

And now—he was pretty sure he'd solved the puzzle of the pendant, at least. Fat lot of good it did him.

Moving on, Riku rubbed a hand across his face, hating the feeling of stubble under his fingers. He always took care to shave daily, in spite of living in the streets. It was the one concession he refused to make to poverty. His razor, of course, had been taken from him when he'd been arrested, but as he searched the vanity, he found one in one of the drawers. Sharper than anything Riku had ever owned, and nicer too, though that was no surprise. He shaved, and used the blade to trim the hair over his eyes while he was at it. The rest of his hair reached past his shoulders, but they'd never bothered him before, and he didn't intend to change that now.

Only then did Riku turn back to the tub. He hissed at the sudden heat of the water on his skin, surprised it hadn't cooled yet, but he kept going until he was fully soaking in it. He closed his eyes, and allowed himself to just relax in the water, to let the warm seep into his bones.

This only lasted for a moment. Soon, the water made a slight, sizzling sound, making Riku open his eyes in panic. Was something wrong with the tub? Was this all an elaborate setup?

The water glowed faintly, and Riku, startled, stood up in the tub. It was only when he caught his reflection in the vanity that he noticed one of the cuts on his chest had closed. There was only a faint line where he was sure there had been a wound just moments ago. And the bruise near his stomach looked a different shade, too, more yellow than purple.

Cautiously, Riku lowered himself back in the water, and watched it start to glow again. He remained in it, this time, until the glow dimmed down, and he could see that the wounds and bruises on his body were gone—and with them, so was the pain. His old scars were still there, but as far as the latest beatings, it was as if the past day had never happened.

Magic was a legend, the common wisdom in the Earth district said. Just something the Kings and Queens of Ilysoir invented to keep people in respect. Yet here was Riku, his body healed just by lying in a tub of water. He wondered what other legends were true, if any.

Riku didn't bother trying to figure out how or why the phenomenon worked: he took in a deep breath, and submerged his head in the water as well. Again, the water glowed, and when he came up for air, the cut on his cheek had closed as well, leaving only a pale line across his skin.

Riku thought he'd wait until the water had cooled, but after a while in the tub and the water still being hot, he was forced to consider that that wasn't going to happen. So, reluctantly, he grabbed the bar of soap nested on a metallic shelf hanging above the tub, and started washing himself in earnest.

He stepped out of the tub, dripping wet on the white tiles. It took him a moment to even consider looking for a towel; it'd been so long since he hadn't had to air-dry himself that the concept almost felt foreign. He found a whole collection of them in a cupboard next to the vanity; when he grabbed one, he was briefly overwhelmed by how soft it felt to the touch, how thick he material was. He used one to dry himself, dropped it to the floor, and shamelessly grabbed another one he wrapped around his waist. This alone felt nicer than any of the clothes he'd ever worn.

He looked around the room, but there wasn't much to it that he hadn't seen when he'd first arrived. The table was nice—or it would be, if he had anything to eat, or do at a table. The couches were, like everything else, so comfortable he could probably have slept in them, but none of the books drew his attention—all of them sounded stuffy and unreadable, and Riku wasn't much of a reader in the first place. He'd learned to read because it came in handy, but life on the streets didn't make time for that sort of leisure.

The bed, Riku felt like he could get _lost_ in; it must have been large enough for at least half a dozen people. He threw himself on the mattress, sinking into it like it was an ocean of softness. He wasn't sure he'd ever manage to stand again, he realized with a yawn.

He removed the towel he'd been wearing, and struggled with the blankets until he found his way under them. Closed his eyes. And instantly fell asleep.

* * *

It was still day out when Riku woke up at the sound of the door's lock being turned. Immediately, panic set in at the thought of someone coming into his hideout; then, the feeling of the mattress and blankets surrounding him came back to the forefront of his mind, reminding him he _wasn't_ in his hideout. And that he was naked.

A guard came into the room first, followed almost immediately by the King, who paused as soon as his gaze fell upon Riku.

"Oh." A pause. "Um—I was hoping to talk." Though Riku wasn't sure from across the room, he was fairly sure the King was blushing.

He couldn't help himself; now that he was healed and fully rested, his personality resurfaced. He grinned. "We can talk," he said, sitting up in the bed, letting the blanket slide just enough to uncover his exposed thigh and hip.

"I—will give you time to get dressed, first."

Riku was simultaneously proud and disappointed by how fast the King left the bedroom; he'd hoped he could tease him a _little_ bit more, at least. The guard stayed behind for just a second, meeting Riku's eyes with a disapproving gaze before he too walked out. The lock didn't click after they left, Riku noted, though he didn't really think he could escape while the King himself was waiting outside his chamber.

There was a chest at the foot of the bed, and when Riku looked into it, he found it full of clothes—probably more than he'd worn through his entire adult life, by the looks of it.

He almost cried at the feeling of clean underwear against his skin. The trousers and sleeveless shirt he chose felt brand new and deliciously pleasant to wear, compared to the old, dirty rags that still lay discarded on the floor tiles. Riku considered shoving those aside, then decided against it. Let the King see them, as a reminder of the only thing he'd had to wear.

He made sure to shove the pendant back under his shirt, and since no one had come back in the room yet, decided to search through the chest some more. He came up with a leather belt, and a matching pair of boots, which he put on. They seemed unnecessary in this setting, but should he somehow manage to escape, he'd be glad to have them.

As the thought crossed his mind, he also made his way back to the vanity, and pocketed the razor he'd used earlier. It wouldn't do much as a weapon—and Riku was, as he'd stated, _not_ a murderer anyway—but he'd be glad for it too, since his old one had been taken away.

Besides, everyone already thought of him as a thief. He had no reason to behave otherwise.

He was starting to pace the room impatiently when the King finally walked back in. "Ah, good, you're ready," he told Riku. "I—wasn't sure if I should wait for you to call, or—" He paused, gaping unabashedly as his gaze roamed over Riku's body. It was the same, nervous way he'd looked at Riku with in the throne room; yet now there was something else, an expression Riku had no trouble deciphering. He knew what he looked like—how _good_ he looked.

Riku stood still in the middle of the room, crossing his arms as he cast the King a defiant stare. "I'm all fixed, and cleaned, and dressed." He managed to seep a healthy dose of sarcasm in his tone. "What can I do for you, _Your Majesty_?" Without bothering to uncross his arms, he made a mockery of a bow, keeping his stare on the King.

Behind him, the guard who'd been in the room earlier was back, and he kept staring at Riku with stern disapproval. Yet, when the King turned to him and nodded, he left the room, closing the door behind him. "I don't know where to start this—" the King started, twitching nervously. He unclasped the hook that kept his cape around his shoulders, and it dropped to the floor.

It was the first time Riku saw him without the cape hiding most of the King's body, and he couldn't help but stare for a brief moment. He was a little shorter than Riku, and slight, but not without strength. The long sleeves of his shirt were pulled taut over his arms, and his waistcoat hugged his chest closely, stretching the patterns of black and red beyond what they were meant to be. His trousers weren't quite as tight, designed for mobility; they were decorated with a pattern of stars, the cloth rippling when the King shifted on his feet and sending a sympathetic shiver down Riku's spine. His slippers were threaded with gold, though that was all Riku saw of them.

The King cleared his throat, pulling Riku back to the moment. His mouth felt dry; he had to suppress the urge to lick his lips, but the King didn't seem aware of it. He hung his cape from a peg by the door, then, keeping his back turned to Riku, removed his waistcoat as well and hung it text to the cape.

Finally, he turned back towards Riku, and took one step towards him. Immediately, Riku stepped back. "Easy there," he warned.

"Um—" The King looked confused. "Should we talk with half of the room between us?"

Riku realized he no longer wore the crown he'd had in the throne room, the crown with the jewels that matched his eyes so well. He dismissed the thought—why was he even noticing that? "I don't know what you're used to doing with your— _guests_ —but I'm not going to—"

The King paused, and tilted his head. Then, finally, he opened his mouth as if in shock, or disappointment. " _Oh_."

"Yeah, sorry to disappoint," Riku said mockingly. "Us city folks don't bend over, even for the King."

"No, I—I would _never_ —" He raised his hands, as if in surrender. "I really just want to talk! I'd never force you—force _anyone_ —"

Fun as it was to watch him squirm, Riku couldn't help but frown. The King sounded genuine. Could Riku really have misread the situation that much? Hesitantly, he stepped towards the King—then, after a few steps, changed his mind, and walked to the nearest couch instead.

With a grateful smile, the King joined him—and, to Riku's dismay, sat on the same couch as him. It was more than large enough for the two of them, but Riku didn't like the proximity.

"The investigation isn't complete yet," the King said, "but I wanted to tell you again that I believe you, about the murder."

"And why's that, _Sora_?" Riku hadn't been able to hold it back for a second longer, even though he wasn't even sure—

Well, if he hadn't been sure before, he was now, just by the shocked look on the King's face. He glanced towards the door. "No one is supposed to use the King's name except for the royal family," he said in a hushed voice—almost as if he was afraid of being caught.

Riku didn't care for his chiding. "So it's really you," he said.

Sora narrowed his eyes. "How did you know?" Instead of answering, Riku brought his hand to his own ear, to the spot on the lobe where Sora's scar was. "You remember that day." Sora's voice was tinged with disbelief. As if it _wasn't_ the strangest thing that had ever happened to Riku.

"I remember that day," Riku said.

"And now I also saved you twice, against my better judgment," Sora said. "Once with Aeleus, back then, and once this morning. That means we're even." He paused. Then, without warning, Sora's hand shot out, seizing the chain around Riku's neck. Riku attempted to struggle, but all Sora did was tug on it, uncovering the pendant; then, he let go. "I _knew_ I'd seen it earlier!"

Riku scooted back on the couch, as if the distance would change anything, and glared at Sora as he hid the pendant again. He hadn't thought to hide it when he was naked—though he'd hoped the _naked_ would have been enough of a distraction. Clearly not.

"So you really _are_ a thief, at least," Sora said, almost in a whisper.

Riku pulled away from him, casting a steely gaze on Sora. "Shall we have _that_ conversation again?" He raised an eyebrow, and Sora blushed in response. "I'm a lot more alert now, if you want to hear all the other ways you hurt people."

"I—didn't mean that as a bad thing," Sora said, looking down in shame.

"Right," Riku said, skeptical. "Like you're not gonna send me to prison for having this on my person. And I mean regular prison. Don't think I haven't noticed this room is no different."

"It's—" Sora groaned in frustration, and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You can keep the pendant." He opened the first few buttons of his shirt, and Riku scooted back further, wondering if he'd been right about the King's intent after all, but Sora only pulled out another pendant from under his shirt. "I had another one made."

Riku didn't feel reassured one bit. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You don't—" Sora closed his eyes with a sigh. "Of course. You don't know what it is." Before Riku could ask, he shook his head. "It doesn't matter; I'm getting off-topic."

"I wasn't aware we _had_ a topic to get off of."

Sora glared at Riku, but it came across more like a pout—and Riku had to admit it was rather cute. That is, until Sora spoke. "I need a thief," he said. "And _you're_ a thief. A thief who could use a royal pardon."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Are you blackmailing me? I think I'd rather go back to jail."

"No, I—That came out wrong." Sora shook his head. "The pardon is yours either way. Because you saved my life, all those years ago, twice."

"I thought you said we were even," Riku pointed out.

Sora stared at him, as if unsure how to respond to that. "I—as thanks for the kiss, then," he said.

Riku gulped at the mention of it. He'd sort of hoped Sora had forgotten, but apparently, neither of them had. " _You_ kissed _me_ ," he managed to say. His mouth felt dry once again.

"Exactly. And you let me. That means I owe you."

It sounded like an excuse. "You—" Riku started, then he stopped. Why was he even arguing with a royal pardon? "I won't be in your debt for this." He made sure his tone made it obvious that this wasn't a question.

Sora shook his head. "You won't be. There is one thing, though. I'll only be able to pardon you for the thefts, and—I forgot the other charges." He chuckled. "But not the murder. Not without losing the support of my own court on the second day of my rule. So you'll have to stay here for the duration of the investigation. But once you're cleared of the charge, you'll be free to go. Should you choose to." _Once_ , Riku noticed. Not _if_.

Every instinct of Riku's screamed to say a polite thank you, maybe even a smile, to take the pardon, and leave it there. But his curiosity got the better of him—his curiosity, and that same, foreign impulse that had driven him to help Sora all those years ago. "You said you needed a thief?" he asked.

A half-smile appeared on Sora's face. "Yes," he said. "I need a thief to stop a coup against me."


	3. Act Two

Riku expected to regret his decision to take Sora up on his offer at some point, but it had yet to happen.

Maybe there was just something too exhilarating about climbing the outer walls of the royal palace's towers, with the King's own blessing to boot. It was far from Riku's first heist, but he'd never set his sights this _high_ before. Literally.

The plan was simple. Sora had come back to Riku's not-quite-a-prison-cell after dark, asking his guards to leave them alone, and unlocked the windows. Then Riku had set out to do his part of the work.

The task was easier than Riku had feared. From the distance of the Earth District, the royal castle of Ilysoir had always looked like a smooth, shining white beacon, a symbol of a life that Riku would never even come close to. But from up close, while it was still taller than anything Riku had ever climbed before, the castle showed its old age. The white paint was weathered away in rough patches, and the stones themselves were cracked and crumbled in places, offering ledges and holds for his hand and feet.

The fall would still kill him. But Riku knew he would not fall.

He made his way down first, since his chamber was in the palace's central tower. Then it was up the inner ramparts to the wallwalk at the top; from there, he could walk along the wallwalk to the tower where his actual objective lay. All the while avoiding patrols.

He reached the window he was aiming for, just below the tower's conic, tiled roof, and hoisted himself inside with a groan. The room was dark, but it was empty, so Riku allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. His arms were killing him, and he'd still have to backtrack the entire way to his chambers.

Part of him knew that he _could_ just leave. It had been so easy this far—he doubted he'd have any more trouble if he just escaped the palace altogether. Nobody was trying to keep someone in the castle, after all. And he didn't owe Sora anything. Disappearing would work just as well as any pardon.

He looked out the window. From where it was, he could see his own chambers, lit up from the inside. Sora was waiting there, alone; Riku wondered what he was doing.

With a scoff, he walked away from the window. He _could_ just leave, yes. But he wasn't going to. Though he couldn't explain it to himself.

He drew the curtain in front of the window through which he'd just come into the room, then made his way to the trapdoor on the side. A lantern hung above it; when Riku picked it up, it flooded with a soft light. Magic, again. Weird how quickly Riku was getting used to it.

Just as well, though; Riku didn't have time to waste. Even with the curtains drawn, someone might notice the light filtering out and come check it out.

"Now, let's see…" he muttered to himself.

The room was an archive of the kingdom's court records; shelves reached all the way up to the ceiling, full to burst with neatly-ordered folders. Looking at the dates, Riku saw files going all the way back to the rule of Sora's mother, who had died thirteen years ago, the day before he and Sora had first met.

The more recent records were signed instead by the regents who had taken charge between then and Sora's coronation. Sora's grandfather had been the first—though as a member of the royal family, he was only referred to as 'Master Regent', his name strictly off the record—then after his death, someone named Lady Aqua. From Sora's briefing, she was the blue-haired woman Riku had seen during his own trial.

Riku had memorized the dates Sora had listed for him, and they all fell within the regents' times. He started with the most recent, picking the corresponding folder and flipping through it to the murder cases. It took him a moment to piece out the filing system, but finally, he found what he was looking for, a case from six years ago.

He skimmed the text. _Victim: Badr ul-Budur, Duchess of Agrabah, Mistress of Coin, Guardian of Light. Cause of death: suffocation. Case closed with no conviction._

The titles caught Riku's eyes. The Guardians of Light were a well-known legend in Ilysoir, seven people who kept the kingdom safe from the darkness, rising every few generations to safeguard the realm with powerful magic. A folk tale, he would have thought. Then again, that's what he had also thought magic was, until a few days ago.

The file was heavily redacted, black ink masking most of the text, but Riku had been hired a few times to snoop our rich people's dirty secrets in the past. Enough to know that this was a pointless effort at best. Holding up the file to the lantern, he grinned: the outline of the text beneath the ink was faint, but visible, slightly darker than the ink around it.

Copying the text took far long than Riku was comfortable with, especially since he had to work in dim light and constantly decipher redacted text. Still, he thought it was better than being caught with stolen files from the royal archives.

When he was done with this first file, he returned it to its proper place, and began looking again, going through Sora's list in reverse chronological order.

Six years ago. _Victim: Alice Liddell, Duchess of Heartshire, Mistress of Science, Guardian of Light. Cause of death: decapitation. Case closed with no conviction._

Seven years ago. _Victim: Winter Hayle, Duchess of Appleden, Mistress of Arts, Guardian of Light. Cause of death: poison. Case closed with no conviction._

Seven years ago. _Victim: Psyche Eromene, Duchess of Bellholm, Mistress of Hunt, Guardian of Light. Cause of death: mauled by her hounds. Case closed with no conviction._

Ten years ago. _Victim: Cendrillon Tremaine, Duchess of Ashford, Mistress of Health, Guardian of Light. Cause of death: fell down stairs at the royal palace. Case closed with no conviction._

Eleven years ago. _Victim: Dawn Rosebud, Duchess of Resthill, Mistress of War, Guardian of Light. Cause of death: stabbed in her sleep. Case closed with no conviction._

The more Riku copied the files, the less he could make sense of them. Each crime was completely different from the previous one, in the method used, but also the circumstances. The lists of suspects had no intersections—which, given that these were all women at the top of the court's hierarchy, was almost shocking in itself. The earliest two cases had been ruled by the so-called 'Master Regent', and the later four by Lady Aqua.

Riku was starting to wonder if Sora hadn't made the whole thing up, or if he wasn't sending Riku on a wild goose chase as some kind of sick game or petty revenge. Maybe Riku had lowered his guard too much around him.

And yet. There was that title, coming again and again. _Guardian of Light_. As Riku put back the last file and readied himself to leave, a suspicion nagged at the back of his mind. According to legend, there were always seven Guardians, and their leader was—

Riku returned his attention to the shelves, and grabbed the first of the folders signed by the Master Regent. Among the murder cases there, one file was almost wholly redacted—and unlike all other files, did not even include a picture.

Riku didn't even need to read the whole thing. The moment he held the file up to the light, he was certain he'd uncovered something.

 _Victim: Her Majesty, the ninetieth Queen of Ilysoir. Guardian of Light. Cause of death: dark magic. Case closed without conviction._

* * *

"This isn't a coup against you," Riku said accusingly when he climbed back into his chambers. Sora looked startled, standing up from where he'd been sitting on Riku's bed. Riku ignored his gaping look, and walked to the table, laying his copies of the files. "You're just trying to solve a murder."

"You weren't supposed to _read_ them."

Riku turned to find Sora standing next to him, eyeing him with an almost betrayed expression. Riku couldn't keep his annoyance in check; he willingly took advantage of his height to tower over Sora, looking down at him. "You know, I almost thought you were trying to trap me. Have me caught stealing from the archives. You're lucky I stumbled upon the key piece of the puzzle."

He jabbed the queen's file into Sora's chest, unable to resist from shoving him back in the process. Sora stumbled backwards, but to his credit, recovered his balance, and grabbed the file. He skimmed it, but by his look, Riku guessed it held nothing new to him. "They told me she died of illness," he said. His voice was flat, painfully restrained—certainly not surprised.

"So you want answers? Revenge? Fine. Why not just tell me the truth? For that matter, why send a thief? You can go into those archives whenever you want, I'm sure."

Sora looked up at him, his gaze defiant. "Because it _is_ more than that. Shortly before my coronation, I tried to have this case reopened, and the man I tasked to investigate…vanished." He looked away. "Ventus is like a brother to me. It's not like he would just go dark on me. And now—" He shook his head. "Until I know who to trust, I can't do anything in the open."

Riku felt his temper recede at the distress on Sora's face, but he crossed his arms in front of himself, feeling defensive. "So the murderer wants to cover their tracks. Still, a _coup_?"

"Why else would someone kill the Guardians of Light? They never got to face their fate."

"To 'fight the darkness'? Whatever that means?"

"Whatever that means," Sora said, as if it was obvious.

Riku felt lost. Did Sora even realize he was talking about a fairy tale as if it was fact? "Why don't you explain it to me," he said, moving to sit down in the nearest couch.

Sora hesitated, then walked around the table to sit next to Riku. "The Guardians of Light appear every few generations. We don't really know why, but every time, they've had to fight to safeguard the country. It's their fate, though we only know what the threat is after it's been defeated."

"But this generation hasn't done it. Because they were—"

"Murdered." Sora sounded like he'd forced the word out.

Riku frowned. "Are _you_ a Guardian of Light?"

Sora shook his head. "But I _am_ the King. I have to do _something_."

"Okay, well…let's assume you're right. The murderer wants to take over the kingdom, so they take out its protectors. But most people think the Guardians are legends. That narrows down the list of suspects, right?"

"Yes. To all the people closest to me."

Riku winced. "Still. And one more thing…" His voice trailed as he pondered how to best explain his thought without sounding callous.

Sora eyed him curiously. "Yes?"

"The murders have been spaced out over a few years, but I guess that's because the Guardians were all well guarded in their own right." Sora nodded, and Riku continued. "But why haven't they done anything since then? Someone this dedicated could have at least made an attempt in six years. Why not, in particular, take over _before_ you're crowned King?"

Sora shrugged. "Maybe it's actually harder to kill the heir apparent than you think?"

" _Or_ they need you alive and on the throne."

"Me being King…is part of their plan?" Sora looked away, pensive. Then he glanced back at Riku, and scoffed. "I'm sure you think it's ironic."

Riku furrowed his brows, gaping in confusion. "Ironic?"

Sora cleared his throat. "'From where I stand, _you're_ the thief'? Isn't that what you said?"

Riku lowered his eyes. "Sora, I—" He didn't know what to say exactly, because even if they'd built a weird kind of rapport in the short time they'd spent together since, he still meant those words.

"It's okay. It's just funny. If your theory is right, then the kingdom might be better off _without_ me."

"Don't say that," Riku said. His voice came out harder than he'd meant to. Sora raised a mocking eyebrow, as if daring to contradict himself. "You're right. I don't like that there's a _King_ living in this place when people like me starve out there in the streets. But you shouldn't say things like that. No one should ever think the world is better off without them."

Sora's face grew solemn. "You lost a friend," he guessed.

Riku had to avert his gaze. "Not a friend." One didn't _make_ friends on the streets. "But many people I knew."

"I'm sorry."

Riku shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he said, even though he doubted Sora was fooled. Instead he turned his attention to the files on the table in front of them. "We _do_ have a lead. A detail in common between all of these." His distraction didn't seem to have worked: he could still feel Sora's eyes locked on him. "It took me a moment to spot it, and it could be nothing. All the investigators were different, but they were all part of the royal guard of the Space District. Even when the murders didn't take place there."

"Well, yes. They have the largest investigative force, and they take care of high-profile murder cases."

"Fair enough, but one victim died of a fall down stairs. Another's hounds turned on her. Most people would assume they're accidents first." He finally felt brave enough to look at Sora, who was still looking at him, enraptured. "So how come they were immediately treated as murder cases?"

Sora frowned. "You think it was done on purpose to obfuscate the investigation."

Riku shrugged. "It would be the best way to cover up a murder."

"If it's the royal guard of the Space District, then Lieutenant Braig is our prime suspect." Sora's face lit up. "And I know exactly where we can start."

* * *

Sora's plan was a simple one: as the festivities surrounding the coronation were still ongoing, it left plenty of occasions where Lieutenant Braig of the Space District would be forced to attend, leaving is chambers mostly unattended, starting with a ball the very next evening. Riku, as the thief in their dynamic duo—as well as the one without a social obligation—could therefore sneak in and see what he could find.

There was just one problem: he had just been on trial, and Sora's decision not just to spare him, but grant him a stay in the palace, had not gone unnoticed.

"The hair will have to go," Sora said. "You already clean up a lot more nicely now that you're not dressed in rags, so if you cut your hair, I'm sure no one will recognize you from the trial."

Riku tugged at a lock of his hair self-consciously. He _liked_ his hair long. "I could just—hide it. With a hat, or something." Even as he said the words, he felt petty for even mentioning it, especially since that went against the point of being inconspicuous. Sora's gaze on him was all but imploring. "I—okay, fine," he finally said.

So that morning, Riku cut off his own hair; then as soon as Sora came to see him, he sent for a barber to come and 'rectify the mess'. Riku complained the entire time, but mostly on principle. If he was honest with himself as he looked in the mirror, maybe the new style wasn't all that bad.

A tailor followed the barber to take Riku's measurements, and after she left, Sora briefed Riku for most of the day, teaching him the layout of the palace as best as he could from within Riku's chambers. Riku humored him, though he was fairly sure he could manage. What bothered him wasn't orienting himself.

"What if I get caught?" Riku ended up asking. "A ball is a busy affair. Palace staff is bound to move about the whole time."

"Are you saying you're not good enough not to get caught?" Sora smirked when Riku glared at him. "I'm kidding. I thought to give you a servant's livery, but that wouldn't hold up to examination. The staff know one another, and while I could vouch for you, the point is to stop people from asking questions altogether. Luckily…" He jabbed a finger into Riku's chest, between his collarbones, at the exact spot where his pendant hung from Riku's neck below his shirt. "We have a better excuse."

That was when the door opened, and the tailor came back, bearing neatly-wrapped clothes for Riku. Riku couldn't help but note the way she paused and stared at them, which suddenly made him aware of how _close_ to him Sora was sitting. Of how casual he was with touching Riku—albeit with the pendant between them.

Sora, either oblivious or on purpose, kept the pose as he thanked her. After she left, he turned back to Riku, a proud grin on his face. "Case in point."

He stood up, and Riku watched him as he picked up the package the tailor had left on the table. "Are you gonna explain yourself anytime soon?"

Sora glanced back. "Right. I forgot you didn't know." He hesitated, then unwrapped the clothes. "The pendant you're wearing—that you stole from me—is a wedding pendant."

Riku couldn't help but glance down at himself, even if the pendant wasn't visible beneath his shirt. "Wedding pendant?"

"My mother gave it to my father when they got engaged. Her mother gave it to my grandfather. And so on. It's the symbol of their union—an official one, as far as the law is concerned."

Sora fell silent, and held Riku's gaze silently as Riku's mind processed. "You want people to think we're _engaged_? Way to throw suspicion off of you if I get caught."

"Well…not exactly. The pendant is only the first part. I didn't activate its enchantment yet. This is…the first step in a courtship. Like…" Sora stuttered the next few words, a furious blush creeping up his cheeks. "Like if you were a prisoner I took a fancy to, had transferred to the higher palace, and wanted to mark as my own. For…company."

The meaning behind Sora's words were clear enough to briefly cut off Riku's breath. "You planned this from the start," he said when his brain started working again. All his visits, the time they'd spend together until late into last night…Riku's guards at the very least would have taken notice.

"I—thought it might be a useful story if anyone asked why I was in your chambers so much, yes. And it might make people less likely to ask questions about you."

"Okay." At least it explained some of the way Sora behaved with him. Didn't it? Most of their interactions _had_ happened behind closed doors, though, and with no witnesses. Better not to dwell on that. Instead, Riku pulled the pendant out, examining it. "I can see why you were so desperate to get it back, that day."

"It's—it's okay, really. You can keep it."

"For your ruse?"

Sora paused, then repeated, "You can keep it." He held the clothes up in front of him, gazing between them and Riku. "They look _perfect_. I can't wait to see them on you."

"If everything goes according to plan," Riku pointed out, "you won't have to."

At those words, Sora peeked from the side. "Sure I will. You'll have to report to me tonight, remember?"

Returning Sora's smile felt like the most natural thing.

* * *

Music filtered up the staircase as Riku came down at last, hours later. It hit him in full force when he reached the vestibule outside of the ballroom, the sweet song of a string quartet, the wailing voice of a clarinet, the soft beat of a drum. Underneath was the sound of voices and laughs, the clink of glasses and plates and utensils, and somewhere slightly more distant, the frenzy of the staff trying to keep up with the ball.

Even the light looked different in the vestibule leading into the ballroom. It was as if the warmth of every color inside the castle had been turned up—and maybe, with all the magic that surrounded Riku, it really had been. It all still defied his understanding.

Guards cast him a curious look as he walked towards the ballroom, feeling his confidence waver with every step. "His Majesty is expecting me," he said, even before they could question his presence here. He took the pendant from underneath his shirt and held it up for them to see, knowing he was starting to blush at the thought of what he was implying.

Was it reckless for him to show his face so impudently, right after burgling one of the kingdom's highest-ranking officers, with the evidence of his deed still on his person? Perhaps it was, but no more than anything else he'd done during his life on the streets.

Why, then, did Riku feel so nervous?

He gave his charcoal-colored vest a sharp tug as if adjusting it, even though he knew it fit him perfectly. Sora hadn't been lying when he'd called the suit _perfect_ , and even if Riku wasn't sure how comfortable he was with the way his white shirt hugged his chest, he had seen his reflection before he'd left his room. And while he'd been suspicious of the short cape, which hung from his right shoulder and came down to the small of his back, it seemed to enhance each of his movements, lending them just an extra touch of gravitas. The bright blue embroidered on the lapels of his vest was the same as his tie, and that had been more confusing to understand, until Riku realized what color it actually matched—nothing on _him_ , but it was the exact color of Sora's eye.

That he'd been able to recall the exact shade of Sora's eyes wasn't helping with the nervous feeling that was creeping up his stomach.

Riku took a deep breath, and forced himself to sink into game mode. This was, ultimately, no different from any heist he'd pulled before. He needed to be in total control of himself—and he knew how to be. Distracting thoughts notwithstanding.

He was glad for his restored confidence the moment he stepped into the ballroom; almost immediately, the nearest heads snapped towards him, like a school of carnivorous fish smelling blood in the water. Riku chose to ignore them, wondering how long it would take for someone to recognize the convict who had been in the King's throne room just a few days ago. Surely it took more than a haircut and clothes to hide who he was?

Yet if anyone recognized him, they didn't speak up about it. Spotting Sora from afar, Riku made it all the way to the dance floor without anyone blocking his path or asking why he wasn't in jail. He had to maneuver around the dance floor then, sticking to the edge as he kept going across the ballroom.

He was just a few steps away when Sora's gaze finally went past the two men he was talking to and landed on him. The way his whole face changed sent heat up Riku's cheeks: his eyes widened, his mouth fell agape, and he looked like his interlocutors had vanished on the spot, as had everyone else in the room.

One of the men Sora was talking to turned around, following Sora's gaze. When his eyes fell on Riku and glided down from his face, Riku suddenly realized why he'd attracted so many eyes: he'd left Sora's pendant on full display on his chest, the glinting silver a sharp contrast against the electric blue of his tie.

Mumbling an apology Riku didn't hear, Sora brushed past the other two men, and suddenly it was Riku's turn to stare. Sora wore a pure white suit, with a black shirt peeking under his jacket. His tie and the lapels of his jacket were a jarring aqua green, and it was only when Riku noticed the cape he wore—a mirror image of Riku's own, covering only the left side of his back—that Riku realized what the color was. Like Riku's suit matched Sora's eyes, Sora had made his suit to match the color of Riku's eyes.

If the realization hadn't taken his breath away, Sora's smile as he positioned himself right in front of Riku would have done it successfully.

"Worth the wait," Sora said under his breath, so only Riku could hear.

Riku's brain struggled with processing the compliment. Pitifully, he managed to clear his throat.

"We should dance," he said.

"I think you're supposed to _ask_ me," Sora said with a mischievous smile, "but this'll do."

He took Riku's wrist delicately, sending a jolt across Riku's skin from the point where Sora's fingertips brushed against the palm of his hand. It was all Riku could do to follow as Sora walked towards the dance floor, with the entire crowd in front of him with every step he took.

At least Riku had regained enough control over his own motions by the time they reached the dance floor to remember how to dance. "You went all in with the—" He cleared his throat again. "The courting angle."

"Of course I did."

He didn't elaborate, and Riku didn't find the courage to ask him to. Guests had cleared the dance floor when the King had come, but the longer they danced, the more people joined them once more. Riku almost felt like he was getting used to the stares people kept sneaking at them.

"Are we safe to talk here?" Riku finally asked. He sure couldn't hear what anyone else was saying, between the dancers' flurry of motion and the music itself, but he wanted to make sure.

Sora nodded. "Should be."

"Good, because I found something."

He slowly moved one hand from Sora's hip to the hand Sora had rested on his shoulder, hoping the move would look casual—or maybe even intimate—as he guided it down to his breast pocket. Sora frowned briefly, until he felt the hard glass locket inside.

"Is that—"

Riku nodded. "An enchanted locket. Matches the kind of magic used against your mother. I confirmed it before I came down." Sora's eyes widened in alarm, and Riku had to quickly add, "I didn't use it on _someone_. I did some research this afternoon. The runes etched on it are the right kind."

"Dark magic…" Sora's voice was tense with worry, as were his features. "In the royal castle of Ilysoir."

"It had to have gotten here somehow," Riku pointed out.

"You found this in Braig's room?"

Riku nodded. "Carefully hidden in a safe. Not something that could be easily planted to frame him. And there was more—" The music stopped then, as the orchestra took a break, cutting Riku off as he feared someone might overhear his words without music to cover them.

Sora noticed his distress. "I think I need some fresh air," he said nonchalantly. "Why don't you join me?" With a wink, he added, "And if you could bring me a drink, too—"

Before Riku could respond, Sora was already walking towards the far end of the ballroom, where massive windows showed the view of a balcony overlooking the castle gardens. Sora walked outside without a hesitation; a second later, the few people who had been standing outside hurried back inside with scandalized looks.

Huffing out a laugh, Riku walked to the nearest waiters, grabbed two glasses of champagne, and walked out onto the balcony himself. While a few guests seemed intent on barring his way now that he was alone again, the moment they saw the two glasses he carried, they kept their distance again, and Riku managed to get out without a hitch.

Once Riku closed the glass door behind him, the sounds of the ball became muffled, to the point where he could almost pretend the party didn't exist anymore. It was just him and Sora, standing beneath the moonlight on a gorgeous marble balcony, with the elegant gardens laid out before them.

Sora was gazing up at the stars, and didn't turn even when he heard Riku's footsteps. Riku decided to stand by his side, placing one of the glasses on the balustrade between them. Sora picked it up and took a sip, still avoiding to look at Riku.

"This is going great," he said, pointing a finger between the two of them. "Us, working together as a team."

Riku frowned at his sudden change of topic. "I guess so, yeah." It didn't feel like enough, so he added, "I'm glad I could find something. Honestly I'm surprised there's any evidence left."

"Too valuable to get rid of it," Sora said.

There was a somber note in his voice. "I'm sorry," Riku said. "It can't be easy, learning that it might all be true. That someone close to you conspired to kill your mother."

"Thanks. Mystery solved, at least." His voice didn't sound particularly triumphant, but before Riku could find the right words to say, Sora finally turned to look at him. "I have a question for you," he said, his tone sounding forcibly lighter. "You're a rogue, and a good-looking one at that. Have you ever seduced your way into stealing someone's belongings before?"

The sudden change of topic took Riku aback. "Seduced?" Then, after a moment of processing his words, "You think I'm good-looking?"

Sora let out an amused chortle. "Come on. I know I'm not subtle. So, did you?"

He guessed Sora _hadn't_ been subtle—but it still felt mind-blowing to even consider that Sora, the ninety-first King of Ilysoir, might find him attractive. Even now, it was hard not to deny it.

With that in mind, the question almost felt dangerous. And yet Riku felt like he owed him the truth. "I—yes," he confessed.

To his surprise, Sora only let out a wistful hum. "I've never even been able to flirt with someone in earnest. Never experienced anything romantic before."

"I seem to recall you technically did, once."

The words were out before Riku could think about them. He felt himself blush at his own boldness, and Sora gaped at him for a moment, before smiling. "You're right. Still, one time, when I was twelve. It's not a whole lot of experience." He sipped from his glass again, then the sip turned into him emptying the glass completely. "So, when you seduced people like that. Did you ever—" His words trailed off, though is meaning was obvious.

Riku shook his head. "I always took off before it ever— _went_ anywhere. I kissed some of them, but I never crossed— _that_ line." He shuddered at the mere thought.

"What about…people you _weren't_ trying to steal from?"

"I don't make friends. Let alone anything closer."

Sora scoffed, pouting at Riku. "I guess I shouldn't feel as bad, if even someone like you—" He shrugged. "Well. You know."

Riku blinked at him, unsure where to take this conversation next. He could feel a tension in the air between them, a longing in Sora's eyes. All it would take were the right words. He might even pull from those earlier cons to find those right words. But—

But then it wouldn't be real.

Why did that even matter?

Before he could process those thoughts, his brain registered the weight of the glass locket in his pocket. And the other item hidden with it. "You said you've never experienced anything romantic," Riku said. "But you're a prince—a King now. Did you never get any proposals?"

"I did. Many princes and princesses." An arrogant grin bloomed on Sora's face. "There was one princess I considered marrying, but—" He paused, and his next words came out breathless. "I could never stop thinking about you."

Sora went still, and Riku's heart raged so hard he couldn't hear the muffled music from the ballroom over the sound of its beats. There was Sora, lips slightly parted, as if he was shocked at what he had just said himself, a twinkle of hope in his eyes.

And then Riku knew. Screw the right words. Screw the questions and doubts. Screw figuring out why it mattered. It _was_ real.

He leaned in, slowly, tensing up at the thought that he had misread it all.

Sora didn't back away. He didn't lean in, either. He was like frozen in place.

Time seemed to stretch before their lips connected. Riku could feel Sora's breath on his lips, the way it hitched slightly. He could see the look Sora was casting on him, as bright as all the stars above them until Sora closed his eyes.

Then, finally, their lips touched. And even though it had been thirteen years, even though they had been barely out of childhood then and were grown men now, it felt instantly familiar. The fullness of Sora's lips, the spicy-sweet scent of his skin. The way Riku's own body surprised him with how eager he felt. It was all back—all there, as strong now as it had been then.

Back then, they'd only briefly kissed, and Riku had still been out of breath. This time, though, it wasn't enough. Sora may have had no other experience, but Riku had, and he was determined to show it off. Running a hand into the dense tangle of Sora's hair to help adjust their positions, he pried Sora's lips open with his tongue, slipping into his mouth. Sora let out a whimper into Riku's mouth, and grabbed desperate fistfuls of the fabric of Riku's vest.

They shifted positions, Sora half-sitting against the balustrade while Riku pressed him against it. Riku kissed him slowly, methodically, unwinding Sora in every way he knew.

This time, when Riku released Sora because he was out of breath, it felt earned. The flush on Sora's skin was delicious, his swollen lips demanded to be kissed again, and in his eyes, Riku saw more stars than in the skies above them.

" _Kiss me once, kiss me twice,_ " Sora recited under his breath.

Riku stared at him blankly. "What?"

"It's—a traditional song," he said.

"Never heard it before."

"It's—only traditional in the royal family of Ilysoir." Sora's blush intensified, though Riku didn't know why. Maybe he'd have to look into this song. Sora cleared his throat. "Could you—"

He gestured towards Riku, and though the motion wasn't particularly meaningful, Riku got the gist, and stepped back. Sora pushed himself off the balustrade and smoothed his suit—though there was little to be done about his hair, but Riku didn't mention that to him.

"Didn't you say there was something else?" Sora asked.

"Something—" It took a moment for Riku's brain to catch up. "Yeah. A letter. It was also in Braig's safe." He fumbled with his breast pocket, unable to understand what was going on. Were they just going to _not_ talk about it?

Before he could manage to get the letter out, Sora said, "Wait."

Riku froze, not daring to move a muscle. "What is it?"

"You can tell me about it later. Tomorrow. I—" He paused, nervous again. "Could we maybe continue _this_ in your room?"

"Oh." It was all Riku could manage, and he certainly didn't feel able to move.

"I mean—the kissing." The last word was barely audible.

"Yeah, I figured."

His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Sora blushed even harder. "And—and _just_ kissing. I just—it's weird doing this out here."

"Just kissing," Riku repeatedly numbly.

"I mean—unless—" Sora stopped himself, and cleared his throat. "Anyway. Do you? Want to, I mean? I know this isn't part of our deal, but— _you_ kissed _me_ this time."

The more Sora talked, the more Riku's brain felt like it was grinding to a halt. "Yeah," he managed to say. "I mean, yes. I'd like that."

"Okay," Sora said, his body deflating as tension flowed visibly out of him. "Okay, let's go then."

Riku remembered how to move when Sora took his hand and led him back towards the ballroom. He was almost capable to take a step without stumbling by the time they were back inside. _Almost_.

They hadn't even made it back to the dance floor, however, when Sora froze.

"Hey, where's Aqua?"

Riku blinked in confusion, before remembering who Aqua was. He'd seen her name in the reports, and Sora had briefed him about her—she had been regent after his grandfather had passed, and still worked as head of the palace guard. Looking around, Riku noticed that she wasn't the only one missing: the ballroom was a lot less crowded than earlier. And among the people who had left, it seemed, were the vast majority of the guards.

"Sora, this is—"

"Your Majesty, I suggest you step away from this man."

The voice that had cut off Riku's warning was one he'd heard before, and recognized instantly. General Xemnas, the man who had been so desperate to expedite Riku's trial—and who had now surrounded Sora and Riku with a dozen of armed guards.

"General Xemnas?" Sora said, incredulous. "What is the meaning of—"

From behind the general, another man stepped out. Riku had never met him, but he'd spent the better part of the afternoon researching him, then searching his chambers. The eye patch and long hair were a dead giveaway—this was Lieutenant Braig. "Your Majesty," he said, his tone bordering on improper when addressing his King, "We were alerted that someone had sneaked dark magic into the palace, and our investigation turned up the culprit. He's standing right next to you."

From the remaining crowd of nobles and waiters, a hushed whisper rose at the accusation.

"Your Majesty," Xemnas said, "This man still stands accused of murder, in spite of his feeble attempt to blend in with his betters. Clearly, whatever he's done to make you trust him was a ploy to bring dangerous dark magic into our midst."

Sora glanced at Riku, and for a moment, Riku thought he'd find an air of betrayal there. But the look Sora cast him was confident and trusting—if afraid. He nodded slightly, before turning back to Xemnas. "General, I'm sure there's been a mistake. You see—"

"A mistake?" Braig said, cutting him off. "So you don't mind if we search him for a cursed locket?"

"A locket I took from _your_ room," Riku couldn't help but say. "At His Majesty's request."

The whispers around them grew louder, though Riku had no idea if it was a good thing or not. Beside him, Sora stood straighter. "He tells the truth, General Xemnas. I sent Riku to investigate Braig. Your Lieutenant—"

"Clearly the man told you what you wanted to hear," Xemnas retorted. "Anything to cover up his own tracks."

"You _would_ say that," Riku said, sneering. Sora turned to him, and this time, there was surprise in his eyes. "I didn't just find the locket in Braig's chambers," he said, not even bothering to make his voice carry. Sora was all that mattered right now. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but—" He blushed at the thought of what had distracted him, but steeled himself nonetheless as he fished into his breast pocket. The soldiers tensed up, so Riku proceeded slowly as he pulled his hand out. "Easy," he told them. Slowly, he showed Sora what he'd found: a letter.

As he held it out, one of the soldiers stepped forward, trying to place himself between Riku and Sora. However, Sora waved him off, and whatever defiance Xemnas and Braig had for the King didn't seem to be shared by this man. Sora took the letter, and skimmed it. "This is—"

"Xemnas is conspiring with Prince Xehanort of Remnant," Riku said. "To force you to marry him, lest Remnant waged war on Ilysoir with all the might of its dark magic."

Sora looked up, and turned towards Xemnas once more. "This _is_ your handwriting," he simply said.

Xemnas scoffed and shrugged it off. "This man is a thief, and a murderer. Would forgery really be beneath him?"

" _Murderer_?" Anger seeped into Sora's voice, turning it into an angry roar. "There's only one murderer here, and he had my _mother_ killed." Sora's voice broke off, and he panted briefly. When he spoke again, his voice was suddenly icy cold. "And that's _you_ , isn't it? Braig wasn't the murderer—he only covered them up for you. Took over the investigation before anyone else pieced it together."

"Your Majesty is lost in fantasies," Braig chimed up. He didn't seem the least bit worried, even though Riku had come to the same conclusion as Sora. This _had_ to be the truth to their plan.

"Guards," Sora said weakly. "Arrest the General and Lieutenant."

One of the guards next to Xemnas turned his weapon to him. However, before he'd even taken a step towards the general, the guard next to him moved, running his blade through his chest.

Xemnas didn't move, even as some drop of blood landed on his boots. He only smirked. "Your Majesty, for your own protection, I believe _you_ will need to be accompanied to your chambers."

This time the guards moved as one—towards Sora and Riku. All but three of them, who hesitated, then ran to place themselves in front of the King. Sora stared at them all, his eyes wide. "What is the meaning of—what are you doing? Where's Aqua? Where are her—"

Riku didn't want to wait and find out: he turned on his heels, and grabbed Sora's hand as he ran back towards the balcony. Sora yelped at being pulled backwards, but reflexively fell into step. Behind them, the noise of a scuffle rose, but Riku had seen their numbers. It wouldn't last long.

"This is a dead end, Riku!"

He wasn't wrong: the balcony stood over the gardens. There was nowhere to go but down.

But it was low enough.

"Not for me, it isn't."

Letting go of Sora's hand, he swung himself over the balustrade—that same balustrade he'd just been pushing Sora against moments earlier, he briefly thought—and caught his hands on it to break his fall. From there, it was almost ridiculously easy to get down. The bottom of the balcony was richly carved, offering a plethora of handholds. Within just a few seconds, he was on the garden ground.

"Jump!" he shouted. "I'll catch you!" It would hurt them both, but less than the alternative.

Sora appeared by the balustrade, though he hesitated. "I don't know—"

"Trust me," Riku said. They didn't have much time left.

For a precious few seconds, Sora stood there. Then, finally, he crouched on the balustrade, swung his legs over it, and let himself drop with a cry of fear.

Riku managed to catch Sora in his arms. The momentum sent them both rolling on the grass, but he'd broken his fall, at least. Riku pushed himself up as soon as he'd regained his bearing. "Can you stand?" he asked.

Sora looked bewildered when Riku came to help him up, but he nodded as he took Riku's hand. "Yeah."

"Then we need to _go_. Right now."

"But I can't—this is _my_ home. My kingdom."

"And they are _your_ guards, supposedly. Won't stop them from hurting us." Although, Riku guessed they would mostly hurt _him_. Sora was still valuable. Still, Riku just couldn't bring himself to leave Sora behind.

Sora bit his lip, hesitant. "I—Riku, I can't—"

"Sora." He tried to put as much emphasis as he could into his voice, as much desperate pleading as he could. "We can stop them. But first we need for you to be _safe_."

Above them, guards arrived on the edge of the balcony. Sora glanced, flinching at their open hostility. "Okay," he said under his breath.

Riku didn't need to hear it twice. He took Sora's hand, and dashed across the gardens, off into the night.


	4. Act Three, Part One

It felt like a small miracle that they managed to escape the castle grounds without being stopped. The guard must have been reduced to allow for Xemnas's coup—at least that was Riku's best guess.

Whatever the reason, they made it out, onto the Heartroad: a large avenue that circled the palace walls, and from which the thirteen main streets of Ilysoir emerged, like spokes on a wheel. They separated the kingdom into so many districts, and past the limits of the capital, became the country's main roads, connecting to the other cities and estates in Ilysoir's vassal dominion.

Riku didn't hesitate as to where he should go next. The Earth District was his home, and the only place he felt confident he could keep Sora safe. He led the way in a mad dash, around the Heartroad then down Earth Street, and as early as he could, took a turn into the lesser streets and alleyways he had lived in all his life.

It was only when Sora practically begged for mercy that Riku stopped, getting his bearings and figuring out which of his hideouts would be ideal right now.

Sora interrupted his musings. "This is—" He was doubled over, panting heavily. "What now?"

"I'm—not sure," Riku admitted. "You're the—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Actually, let's not talk about that here."

"Yeah. Better not."

"First thing we should do is blend in," he said, tugging at the suit he wore. It might have looked magnificent in a ballroom, but was far too showy in the streets. The late hour worked to their advantage; they hadn't run into anyone so far. But it wouldn't last—at best, they had until sunrise, when the streets would fill out. "Follow me."

* * *

Riku was afraid his latest hideout would have been compromised, since he had been arrested by the very same palace guards they were now running away from. But he still took the chance to check out the place, and found it mercifully empty, allowing him and Sora to get in.

"We can't linger long," Riku said, "but we can at least get a change of clothes."

Sora nodded, staring at the place with wide eyes. Riku had been living here for about a month before his arrest; it was once the storage room of a butcher's shop on the other side of the building, but the new owner had walled it up when he had turned the place into a pub, claiming he would never get rid of the smell of meat, without ever bothering to do anything about the back door. It was just the one room, windowless but well isolated from the weather outside, if a bit chilly. Riku had brought no furniture with him, only a pile of blankets forming a makeshift bed and his few belongings—mostly clothes, though there were a handful of stale biscuits left over as well.

Riku searched through the pile, picking out a shirt and trousers for Sora and handing them to him. "You can put this on. You'll have to keep your dress shoes, though. I don't have any spare."

Sora gingerly took the clothes, and Riku moved on to grab some for himself, getting changed in a hurry. The incriminating letters and the enchanted locket would have to stay with him, too: these couldn't be allowed to fall into the wrong hands, even if Xemnas had tried to use them against him once already. He considered putting them in the leather pouch at his belt, then decided against it and shoved them in the pockets of his trousers. He knew better than to trust a bag in these parts—that would be a pickpocket's first target.

When he was done, he turned around, noticing that Sora hadn't moved, clothes clutched in his hands, cheeks flushed.

"Sora? Are you okay?"

Blinking, Sora gave a sharp nod. "Y-yeah, I just—could you turn around a moment?"

Riku suddenly realized he'd just gotten undressed down to his smallclothes in front of the King, and couldn't help but blush himself. "Of course," he said, turning his back to Sora. "But we seriously need to hurry." He heard the shuffle of Sora's clothes coming off, and tried his best not to picture it in his mind.

"I'm ready," Sora said. He was looking mournfully at his discarded suit when Riku turned around. The clothes were too big for him; Riku picked up the belt from his own suit and handed it to him to secure the trousers around Sora's waist. The shirt was loose around his neck, showing his upper chest; when Sora moved to put on the belt, the cloth shuffled and gave Riku a peek of his nipple. Riku might have enjoyed the view, if not for how much it also put Sora's pendant on display.

Kneeling by his suit, Riku took hold of the half-cape, and tore it in half. Sora gasped in shock when he did, but Riku only held it up, gauging the results. "You can wear that as a scarf. It'll hide the necklace."

"Riku, do you know how expensive that silk was?"

"Not more expensive than your life. So it's worth the cost." Sora flinched at first, but as he processed the words, he started to smile, almost preening in front of Riku. "Come on, let's go before they think to search this place."

"Riku?" Sora called as Riku walked past him, gently closing his fingers around Riku's wrist. "I haven't had the time to say this yet, but…thank you. For saving me back there. And all of this."

"You don't—"

"You had no skin in this game—you made it clear you didn't really like kings."

"That doesn't mean I don't care about _you_ ," Riku managed to say, swallowing hard without daring to look back at Sora.

"Yeah," Sora said with a sad chuckle. "I got the impression that you did back there, but still. The only reason you were a target at all was because _I_ got you involved. You could have saved yourself—nobody would be after you if you'd gone on your own—but you didn't. So thank you."

Hearing the pain in his voice, Riku couldn't resist turning back. " _Sora_ ," he simply said, feeling breathless and out of words. He brought his free hand to Sora's cheek, tilting his head up until Sora finally met his gaze. Riku searched for something to say that would comfort him, but upon meeting those blue eyes, dull with grief, wet with tears and heavy with fatigue, his mind went blank. All he could do was hold his gaze, as if he could drink Sora's pain away through his eyes.

"We should go?" Sora said, his voice having lost its last ounce of strength.

Riku nodded, feeling clumsy and self-conscious. "Yeah. Right. Let's go."

"Go _where_ , though?" Sora asked as they stepped back out into the alleyway. "Do you have a plan?"

"Survive until we come up with a plan," Riku said. At least that was something he was good at—survival had been his entire life.

"That's not a plan," Sora grumbled.

"For now, anything we do must be unpredictable, or Xemnas can catch us. So not having a plan can be to our advantage."

"But—that's not going to work in the long run. We need to know what's going on. Where was Aqua? I'm sure she would support me."

Riku was tempted to point out there was truly no way of knowing who the powerful would follow after a coup, but he didn't see the point in demoralizing Sora any further. "If I had to guess, Xemnas found a way to keep her away, along with the part of her forces he knew would be loyal to you. It would explain why we didn't run into any guards on our way out."

"I—hadn't thought of that."

"Of course not. To you, those guards were never a source of danger before tonight."

"That's not quite true," Sora protested. "There was that _one_ day."

Riku had to pause to stare at him for a moment. "The day we met."

Sora nodded. "Though I guess I wasn't very good at staying out of trouble from the guards back then," he said with a chuckle. "You saved me then, too."

Riku couldn't help but return his smile, even though he didn't feel they had much to smile about. "I guess this is just who we are to each other, huh?"

"Could be worse."

"Could it, really?"

"If I remember correctly," Sora said, tapping a finger to Riku's pocket, "If it weren't for you, I might be on my way to marry the prince of an enemy nation under duress. Instead I'm here. With you." Sora blushed at those last words, but he held his gaze firmly on Riku, his lingering hand going from his pocket to his hip.

He was so close, and the rising sun, peeking just over the horizon, shed gold on the locks on his forehead. Even though it made no sense to even _think_ about this right now, it was all Riku could do to consider kissing him again.

The clang of armored footsteps in a nearby street shattered the stillness of the moment. Riku cleared his throat, nervous, and tore himself away from Sora. Soon, other noises followed: doors and shutters opening, people looking outside or emerging from their homes already, stores opening and setting up shop for the day. A bustling new day in the Earth district, oblivious to the dramatic events at the palace the previous night. For now, at least.

"We need food," Riku said. "And—you're right. We need to learn whatever we can. If only to find out how they will spin this situation to their advantage."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking—if Xemnas had so few forces, that means he didn't have a lot of time to plan this in advance. He would have found a way to make sure more of the guards were people who would follow him, right?"

"You're assuming he could do that at all without Aqua noticing."

"Maybe," Riku conceded, "but in that case, why even have a coup in this way, when he's at such a disadvantage? Why not wait for you to be in a more vulnerable position? He must have been in a hurry. And the way he zeroed in on me immediately—"

Sora narrowed his eyes. "You think he knew what you found?"

"Maybe." Riku shrugged, not liking this train of thought. Had _he_ caused the events of the night? "I took precautions, but—"

"Magic," Sora guessed before Riku could finish.

Riku nodded. "I'm not used to dealing with it. If Braig used any sort of magic defenses—" He sighed. "It could all be my fault."

Sora, however, shook his head. "It wouldn't be your fault anyway. I still sent you there unprepared. I was the only one who could have considered it."

"Well, it's too late to argue about whose fault it is." It would be a blow to his pride, certainly, but— "You don't live the life I've had for twenty-six years without learning to move on. What matters now, like I said, is survival."

Sora nodded gravely. "Sure. No more trying to blame myself, as long as you agree to do the same."

Riku couldn't help but snort at his petulant insistence, but he returned the nod. "Fine. Promise not to blame ourselves from now on. Now can we go?"

"You mentioned food, right?" Sora put a hand over his stomach, grimacing. "That would be pretty nice right about now. Do you think we can get fruit tarts? I love those for breakfast!"

"We're alone in the streets with no money," Riku pointed out, trying to remain neutral.

"I'm _kidding_ ," Sora retorted with a grin. "Anything would be amazing right about now, anyway. Besides, I'd love to see more of the place you grew up in."

"We're not tourists, either."

"I'm just trying to make the most of it, okay?"

In spite of Sora's carefree smile, Riku was suddenly reminded of the pain he'd seen in his eyes earlier. Perhaps this positivity was just who he was, but perhaps this was also how he managed to keep going. "Prepare to be amazed by the wonders of the Earth District," Riku said, trying his best to sound enticing. "Like dust and heat, guards, and of course, everyone fending for themselves."

* * *

Riku might have been a tad overdramatic with that introduction, but there was some truth to it nonetheless. This was Riku's home, and where he felt safest from Xemnas's reach, but it was by no means _safe_ in the absolute. The struggle was just familiar with him, and a few days at the palace hadn't dulled his edge.

Even if Riku would have preferred to stick to the alleyways, where they could remain hidden, he had to risk going into the busier merchant streets for what they needed. And even though he didn't much like parading the King around, Sora had to learn to fend for himself, should this situation grow to be more long-term.

That was how, a good half-hour past sunrise, Sora made his first attempt at being a decoy with a fruit vendor. "Whoa! These all look _amazing_! You must be really proud of growing such tasty-looking fruit!"

Riku groaned internally from a distance. He probably should have considered that Sora would have no idea how to address a merchant, and that was before his palace accent or his mannerisms betrayed him as an outsider from the District. If he wasn't careful enough, it wouldn't be long before others picked _him_ out as a mark.

Still, the oddity that was Sora was effective enough as a distraction. Before long, Riku's pouch was heavier with a couple of pears and apples, and he signaled Sora from afar to regroup.

"How'd I do?" Sora asked, clumsily catching the apple Riku tossed at him.

"Stay on the move," Riku said, resolutely walking on and waiting for Sora to catch up. "You certainly _were_ distracting," Riku said diplomatically. "We'll have to work on your people skills, though."

"I'm perfectly capable of talking to people. What do you think being at court _is_?"

"Yeah, but we're not at court. It's pretty obvious you're out of your element." Noticing the weary look on Sora's face, Riku chose to be more encouraging. "You'll learn. And I'm here, too. We're a team, okay? It's like we promised: no blaming ourselves, we just focus on survival. We succeeded, so, let's move on to the next thing."

"Which is?"

"More food. We won't last on just fruit."

"Yeah, honestly, I'm still hungry." There was a guilty smile on Sora's face, and the apple in his hand was already eaten to the core.

Riku bit back a remark that Sora might have to grow used to it, and instead, scanned the street ahead of them. There was a baker's shop nearby Riku was familiar with; they tossed burnt loaves out in the back alley, leaving them out for the birds…or hungry street rats.

A dip into the alleyway later, Riku's pouch was heavy with a half-burnt loaf of bread, and Sora's hands full with two misshapen rolls. He gingerly handed one to Riku once they were back on the main street, and bit into the other. "This isn't so bad," he said. "Why even throw them out like that?"

"Because they wouldn't sell. And if it can't be sold, it's worthless."

"But it's still food."

Riku couldn't help but cast him a sarcastic stare. "Don't ask me why things are the way they are. I'm not the King."

"But I—" Sora caught himself, clearing his throat as he looked around, as if expecting any of the other passersby to be listening in. "The King didn't make things the way they are either. The coronation was just a few days ago."

"Guess not. He inherited the problem. A problem none of the ninety previous Kings and Queens saw fit to solve."

"Even though they could have," Sora guessed. Then, all pretense of carefulness gone, he added, "I always thought of my mother as a good woman. And my grandfather too, when he was regent."

"I don't think it's as simple as them being good or bad as people. It's not like they didn't solve any problems. We haven't been in open war for a long time, in spite of Remnant being right there, trying to invade us for generations." Riku bit his lip at the unfortunate choice of an example, but he pressed on. "I imagine it's hard to think of solving a problem if you don't even see it from your palace halls."

"You almost sound like you're defending them," Sora said, suspicious.

"Not really. Just because I can understand why they did nothing doesn't mean I'm less angry about it. I just learned that it's better to judge actions than people as a whole. People are more complex than a simple 'good' or 'bad' can describe."

"Riku, the street philosopher." Sora grinned. "I like that about you."

Riku felt himself blushing, but he hid it by taking a bite from his bread roll. "You don't have to live in a palace to have ideas. It's just harder to get those ideas heard by others, that's all."

"I suppose you're right about that too."

"I try very hard to be." Riku managed a cocky smile at that, which made Sora smile back in turn. "Stay here. I'll get this one. Be ready to run."

A butcher was setting up a stall outside her shop, carefully laying cured meats out on display; Riku's eyes, however, were drawn to the dry sausages hanging from a rack on the side of the stall. The strings holding them seemed weak enough for his purposes.

The moment the butcher went back inside to get more supplies, Riku dashed forward. As he'd expected, the strings snapped with a hard enough tug, and in just a few seconds, he was carrying a handful of sausages.

"Hey! Drop that!"

The outraged call came from inside the shop, but Riku didn't wait to see if anyone else on the street would try to step in; he took off in a run, down the street then taking a sharp turn in an alleyway, its entrance partially hidden behind a pile of empty crates in front of a bookstore. Only once he was out of sight, and sausages stashed in his pouch, did he dare to peek and see if Sora had managed to keep up. And if not…well, he'd just have to risk going back to get him, wouldn't he?

But after just a second, Sora dashed past him, looking around wildly in confusion. Riku dared to call his name in a low voice, hoping no one was tailing him; it took two attempts, but on the second one, Sora perked up and saw Riku past the crates.

Riku expected him to be angry at being left behind in this fashion, but Sora was only full of exhilarated laughter. "That was _crazy_ ," he said, catching his breath loudly enough that Riku thought it more careful to drag him further into the alleyway.

"It's just the sort of thing you have to do to survive, sometimes." Most days, if Riku was honest with himself. Except for the brief times when he'd score something more valuable, or was hired for his services as a thief, allowing him some time to live without risking his life every day.

He handed a piece to Sora, wandering down the maze of alleys in this neighborhood of the Earth District. Staying on the move felt better, especially since he had no idea if anyone had spotted him or Sora escaping this way. Besides, there was still Xemnas to worry about. They hadn't seen any soldiers or palace guards around yet, but that didn't mean it was time to lower their guard yet.

"What's next?" Sora said through a mouthful of bread and sausage. "You said we had to gather information, but—"

"I'm not really sure where to start."

"Well that's reassuring."

"I can't reach out to my old clients in high society, because they're as likely to sell me out as to help us. I could try to break into some of their homes, but I don't think that's gonna help all that much. For now, the best way to proceed is probably just to stay in the streets, try to keep an ear out. See if Xemnas is trying to make the whole thing public or keep it under wraps as much as possible."

"So…why are we in an empty alley?"

"Because we had to get food first, and not get caught."

"Yeah, that was way more important." Sora said, his voice devoid of sarcasm as he bit into his sausage again. "But… _then_ what?"

Riku couldn't help but sigh. "I don't know. If I had a plan to defeat the full might of the Ilysoir military, I would have carried it out by now." He punctuated his words with a smile, hoping Sora would see it for the joke it was. "What about you? Don't _you_ have some kind of political acumen that could help us in this mess?"

"Well—" Sora's gaze grew distant. "Our closest allies were the Guardians of Light, and as you know—" He cleared his throat. "Their successors aren't as close to the crown, though they might still be willing to help."

"Aren't they your vassals? Bound to help?"

Sora cast him an amused look. "Riku, I know you think I'm _naive_ , but come _on_. That relationship only holds as long as I have more power than them."

"So no one we can reliably count on?"

"I would have said Aqua, but we don't know where—" He paused with a gasp. "Do you think the reason she vanished from the ball was because Xemnas—" He covered his mouth with his hands, horror painting his eyes.

"I'm sure she's okay," Riku said, attempting to mask his own uncertainty. "She's a capable woman. She might have been forced to retreat, but—" He shook his head. "Is there a way we could reach out to her? Some kind of signal she'd recognize? Some magic that you have at your disposal?"

"No, I—" Sora shook his head. "I'd have to think about it, but—"

"Take your time. We don't need an answer immediately." As he searched for options, something came to Riku's mind. "What about another country?"

Sora frowned. "What about it?"

"The Remnant Empire wants to force you to marry the Emperor's heir apparent. What if we beat them to the punch? You told me that a princess once proposed to you."

"I—" Sora looked scandalized at the very thought. "but Kairi and I—we're not—" The imploring look he cast on Riku was enough to break Riku's heart, even if he still didn't know what the nature of their relationship really was anymore. "I thought we—"

Riku had to cut him off. "I know," he said, even if he really didn't. He took Sora's hands in his. "It's not an easy choice. But this isn't about—emotions." He couldn't quite get the word he'd been meaning to say out loud.

"It might work. My vassals may not support me while I'm weak, but another country might see it as a chance to benefit for themselves. But still, I—how would it be better?"

Riku shrugged. "It's your call to make. No one else's."

"I'll think about that too, then," Sora said, his expression growing somber as his eyes fell to the ground.

"Sora," Riku gently said, waiting for Sora to meet his eyes again. "I don't want you to think I'm trying to get rid of you. If there was another way—" He shook his head. "Whatever you decide, I'll be by your side."

"Another way—" Sora said, wistfully. His eyes drifted down again, to Riku's neck. "I don't know."

"Like I said, take your time. I'll keep us alive until you choose, or until we find a better option." Sora didn't respond, so Riku took his hand and started to walk again. "Come on. Let's try to see what we can learn in the markets."

After a moment, Sora glanced at the way Riku was leading, and said, "I thought we came the other way."

"We…did," Riku replied, unsure what his point was.

"I thought we were going back to the markets?"

Riku couldn't hold back a smile. "That wasn't the markets, just a merchant street. Wait until we get there, I think you'll love it."

The Earth Distict markets were just a few minutes away, the alleys feeding into larger streets until they came to an opening into the plaza that was the heart of the district. They had arrived at the narrow end of the plaza, which was still wide enough for dozens of stalls to stand side by side, selling all kinds of goods from food or spices to clothes or furniture, including books and trinkets and sculptures. Riku had never once in his life imagined something he could not find at these markets—including information.

Seeing Sora's ecstatic face, Riku couldn't help but smile, even if it also made him worry. "Stay close to me," he warned. "I'd say watch your valuables, but—"

Sora sighed. "Yeah. It's probably for the best. If I had any money, I'd never know what to spend it on."

Riku chuckled at that. "Most people spend it on what they need."

"You know what I mean. I mean, look at that!" He pointed to a nearby street vendor, dipping fried doughnuts in chocolate and selling them to customers. "I've never had anything like that!"

"This is pretty far from palace food, isn't it," Riku said. "Hold on."

Ignoring Sora's confused glance, he resumed walking, and after a few paces, quickly stepped to the side, away from Sora. Immediately, a tall man rammed right into him, causing him to drop the veritable mountain of goods he'd been carrying in his arms.

"So sorry, sir!" Riku said, promptly regaining his balance. "Let me help you pick these up." He crouched to the ground as the man grumbled and gathered his things. In just a few moments, Riku had helped him back to his feet, his precarious pile of purchases back in his arms.

As soon as the man walked towards the end of the markets, Riku grabbed Sora by the upper arm and led him in the opposite direction at a quick pace.

"Hey! What's that ab—"

" _That_ ," Riku whispered, "is why I told you to watch your valuables." With a sly grin, he pressed a handful of coins in Sora's palm, and nodded towards the street vendor. "Treat yourself."

Sora gaped at him for a second. "You know, I never really thought about how _cool_ thieves really are before."

"Shout it a little bit louder, why don't you," Riku hissed, but Sora ignored him, a smile growing on his lips.

"Unless it's just _you_ ," he said. "Being cool, I mean. 'Cause I think you're cool."

Riku couldn't help an amused chuckle. "I think we're past the stage where you tell me you like me." Sora's smile vanished into a strangled, shocked gasp, making Riku laugh even more. "Hurry up. I'd rather we go further into the market, in case that guy realizes what happened."

Sora regained his composure at that suggestion, and dashed to the vendor, coming back moments later with a greasy paper bag, dripping with chocolate. Immediately, Riku took off towards the heart of the markets, not wishing to linger any more than necessary.

"What's next?" Sora said behind him, his voice giddy.

"Listen and watch. If any word came from the palace, people are bound to be talking about it here."

Immediately, Sora went serious again. "Okay," he said with a solemn nod.

The marketplace grew wider the further they went towards its southern side; it was so wide that, when they reached the center of it, Riku could barely spot any of the buildings at is periphery over the stalls and people. The crowd was thick, and there was very little shade to offer protection from the sun, whose light beat down on them as morning crept closer to noon. Riku had always felt like he could drown in this crowd—and now, with Sora by his side clinging to his arm, it felt like he had to keep _him_ afloat too. This had never been his element: gathering information was only useful in so far as it could get him to find new jobs, it had never been the job in and of itself. Yet he had no choice.

It always took him time to focus properly, to separate voices from the ambient noise and parse out what people were discussing. Some excitement was left over from the coronation festivities, and Riku couldn't help but smirk as he wondered how these people would react to knowing the King was walking among them right now—or to finding out why. Rumors about the murdered Seifer, the murder Riku had been accused of himself, and who would be taking over his security business—by which they meant his racketeering of defenseless businesses. The usual gossiping between friends and acquaintances, news about families and friends and how they were doing.

Not much about the palace, as far as Riku could tell, though there was talk of Space District soldiers barging in on Earth District affairs which caught his ear. Braig led those troops, and he'd clearly been part of Xemnas's plans. Had he come here specifically, or sent his troops to all districts? And was he searching for Sora, or simply trying to establish control over the rest of the military? None of the rumors here seemed to know of anything that took place in the other Districts.

"This isn't helping," Riku mumbled to himself. But when he turned to Sora to offer a break, he saw that Sora's attention was elsewhere.

The markets were a bustling place of activity, and that attracted the more desperate among the Earth District too. Thieves like Riku, of course, but others as well. Nudged in almost every available space between the merchant stalls were beggars and lone children, sometimes whole families too, who lived on the street and came here in the hopes of being granted something to live on a little longer. Some performed to grab the attention of passersby; others—especially children—worked for one of the merchant stalls, though their clothes and their eyes betrayed their precarious situation.

Seeing Sora's heartbroken look for a beggar girl, Riku felt ashamed of how easily his gaze usually glided over them. He hadn't been one of these people in a long time—not since he'd learned to fend for himself—yet it was still hard to remember those days. Still, that was no excuse.

"Sora?" Riku called gently.

"What's the point of being King if I can't _help_ these people?" Sora said, his voice weak. "I never even _thought_ about people like that existing in Ilysoir."

Riku wanted to find something comforting to say, but he was at a loss for words. "We should—"

"Is it even worth fighting to get the throne back? Am _I_ worthy of being King?"

" _Sora_ ," Riku chided him, suffusing his voice with strength. "Not now."

"I know what you said, but what if it's best for everyone that I just stay here, and just…be forgotten."

"You think Xemnas and the Remnant Empire will do a better job?"

"How do you know they _won't_?"

"Call it a hunch. Or call it knowing that a lot of the people on these streets are refugees _from_ the Empire. Between the conscriptions, the work camps, and the culling—"

"The _culling_?"

"The Empire takes tributes from every town and village every year to run their experiments on."

Sora looked down. "Dark magic."

"That too, maybe. None of us common folk would know about that. But believe me, everyone who lives in these streets knows what living under the Empire would do."

"That doesn't mean _I_ should be in charge."

Riku glanced around himself. Though Sora was keeping his voice down, he didn't like how _close_ everyone was. If any one of these people was listening in the way he had been, they might be in trouble soon. "Then don't be," he said. "You can think of a different way. But first, you have to save this entire kingdom from falling to much worse people."

Sora nodded, but weakly, and kept his eyes lowered. "I don't know if I can do that, Riku."

"I could tell you it's your responsibility, but—" Riku shook his head—that wouldn't work on anyone. Yet the answer felt simple. "I don't think you really believe that. We've only known each other for a few days, but I've seen who you are. I've seen your kindness, and your _optimism_. You want to help people, and you know that you _can_."

At that, Sora looked up, gaping at him. "Riku—"

"What's the point of being King if you can't help them? You're asking the wrong question. Right now, this _is_ how you help them."

The thoughtful look Sora kept on him was so intense as to make Riku want to squirm, but he stood firm, and after a moment, Sora nodded. "You're right." He sighed. "But—this is only the first step. So I want your promise."

Riku frowned, taken aback by the sudden turn of Sora's thoughts. "My promise?"

"You said you'd come with me no matter what I choose to do to solve this, but I want your promise you'll stay— _after_. I'll need someone to keep me grounded. Remind me that this is why I'm doing this. Not just survival, but for all their sake."

"I—" Riku felt suddenly nervous. "I don't know if you're asking the right person. Survival has been my _thing_."

"Well, _I_ don't think _you_ really believe that. I still remember what you said in that throne room. I think you care about injustice, but you've just refused to _let_ yourself. Well, I'm asking you to let yourself care."

Something about his words—about the suggestion to let himself _care_ —make Riku's heart skip a beat. Sora's moments of sharp insight still surprised him, it seemed. Unless, like Sora had said earlier, it was just about _him_. A thought which only made his heart skip another beat.

Before he could answer, something caught his attention at the edge of his vision. "We need to move," he said, grabbing Sora and dragging him away.

Sora didn't resist, but he was still grumbling as he followed. "You could just say _no_."

"I'm—not. Someone's following us."

"Someone? Who is it?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't say 'someone'." Catching Sora squirm in his grasp, he snapped, "Don't look back. The less we alert them that we're on to them, the better."

"What're we doing?"

"Trying to lose them. The crowd's ideal for that, and once we're in the alleys, I can make us disappear."

"About that promise—"

"Is this really—"

"Yes, actually." Sora's forceful tone was such a surprise, it took all of Riku's willpower not to stop in his tracks to stare at him. "If something goes wrong—I want to know what you would have said."

Riku couldn't help but feel a rush of apprehension—at the thought of something going wrong, but also at the thought of such a big commitment, to a _King_ no less. But it wasn't _just_ a King, and it wasn't like Riku could pretend he hadn't gotten himself far more involved than should have been wise already. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be trying to help Sora right now. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have kissed Sora at the ball. He wouldn't be thinking about kissing Sora again every time he glanced at his lips. Riku had not lived his life up until now lying to himself; this didn't seem like the right time to start.

"I—as long as you'd have me, I would stay with you," he said. "I don't know why you would want me to, but yeah. I would." He scoffed. " _Fuck_ , that feels weird to say out loud."

"Don't sound so _thrilled_ about it," Sora retorted, petulant, though his lips were quirked up.

"I said weird, not bad." Riku shot him a sidelong glance. "If we weren't trying to lose someone, I might just have to kiss you right now. Even if it would only make things weirder."

Sora replied something under his breath that Riku couldn't make out, though the way he blushed was enough to make Riku grin. He was tempted to tease him further, but had to stop himself; they had reached the edge of the marketplace, and as far as Riku had been able to tell, they hadn't lost their pursuer. Which meant they'd have to be quick—and silent.

"Not a word from now on," he said sharply, and thankfully, Sora nodded without complaint.

He dove into the street as fast as he could, taking the first possible turn then weaving into the next few alleyways, hoping to lose their pursuer on speed if stealth hadn't helped. Sora kept up without protest, and after several more turns, Riku paused behind the next corner, both to catch their breath and see if they were still being followed. When he peered around the corner, he found the alley they'd just come from empty. With a relieved sigh, he leaned back against the wall—

—and saw a cloaked figure standing ahead of them, just a few steps away. Jolting to his feet, Riku scanned around him for some kind of makeshift weapon, but there was nothing. If this person was a threat—

"I remember that attitude of yours. Even if you looked a lot less presentable last time I saw you."

Riku frowned, the woman's voice sounding vaguely familiar, and the ecstatic cry Sora let out when she removed her hood confirmed it for her.

"Aqua!" Sora shouted, his voice melting with relief.

"Your Highness," Lady Aqua said, trying to make a formal salute—and failing as Sora threw his arms around her.

"I've been so _worried_! I thought Xemnas might have—"

Hesitantly, Aqua closed her arms around Sora's back, a fond smile on her lips even as she cast a dubious look to Riku. "He certainly tried. But Your Highness, I failed you. I should have been by your side—"

Sora pulled himself away from her, shaking his head. "Riku and I made a promise. No blaming ourselves. I expect that same promise out of you, Aqua."

A frown briefly crossed her brows, but it was quickly followed by a smile. "Of course, Your Highness."

"And please, call me Sora from now on."

Aqua almost managed to hide her shock. "I understand the need for an alias, but—your real name?"

"It's not just about using an alias," Sora said, without offering further explanation.

"If that's what you wish, Yo—Sora." Her gaze turned to Riku. "Thank you. For keeping him safe. Even if I don't understand why you're doing it."

Riku couldn't hold back a chuckle—because frankly, even after vowing not to lie to himself, the answer still felt too big to speak out loud. "If given the choice, I'd do it every time." Ignoring the way Aqua raised an eyebrow, he pressed on. "More importantly, we need to know what happened at the palace. Xemnas drove your forces out?"

Aqua nodded. "I was informed that Braig had Ventus and was holding him prisoner in the Space District. I dispatched Terra and Roxas with some of the palace guard to take him back, but it left my forces at the palace weakened."

"Informed by—"

"Xemnas. I should have realized that was his play the whole time."

"So Ven's fine?" Sora asked, his eyes full of hope. Riku remembered what Sora had told him—how he had asked Ventus to look into the murders of the Guardians of Light, and he'd gone missing. Sora had said they were like brothers, and he had thought himself responsible for his disappearance.

"He was, last I heard from Terra. We got cut off."

"Ambushed?" Riku guessed.

She nodded. "The Space District is a battlefield right now. They were holding strong, but all the exits were cut off."

"So your forces are spread thin. What about the other Districts' militaries? I heard the Space District sent troops all over the city."

"I don't know who we can rely on. Xemnas is the General—they could follow him just as much as the King. And until now, we didn't even have the King on our side." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad I found you."

"How _did_ you find us, anyway?" Riku asked.

"I heard what happened at the party—how you escaped together. And this your home." Riku winced at how obvious she made it sound. He'd known this was a risk in coming here, but he hadn't expected to be found so soon. At least it was by an ally—he hoped.

"So what's the plan?" Sora asked. "Do we try to rally the military against Xemnas? Take back the palace?"

"I'm gonna signal to the palace guards who came here with me to regroup. Then we need to break Terra's forces out of the Space District. Once we have a sizable force, we can at least that some of the Districts will stand behind us."

"What about Sora's vassals?" Riku asked. "Or the allies of Ilysoir?"

"I sent word to them. But—we're running against the clock here. Right now, Xemnas holds the upper hand. Even if we were to wait until they arrive, that would mean having to survive on our own for a long time."

"Survival _is_ Riku's thing," Sora said, the weird sense of pride that tinged his words making Riku smile in spite of himself.

"That sounds like a challenge," a mocking voice called from the rooftops. Tensing up, Riku peered up to find its origins, and spotted him, easily recognizable by his eyepatch: Braig, standing near the edge of the roof, arrowguns in hand. "And I do love a challenge."

"Run!" Aqua shouted, but as Riku looked around himself, he saw that it was no use. From the crisscrossing alleyways all around them, soldiers were emerging, their cloaks unable to hide the armor underneath, emblazoned with the Space District's symbol.


	5. Act Three, Part Two

This felt just like it had at the ball—pressed against a wall by a circle of soldiers, with Braig taunting them from a safe distance. Though unlike the ballroom, which had a glaring exit that the soldiers hadn't covered—even if it had taken some boldness to consider using it at all—Riku was at a loss to find a way out of this.

He was on his home turf—he should have had the advantage—but he was more stuck here than in the royal palace. There was some irony to this, though Riku didn't feel like laughing.

Braig leapt off the rooftop, forcing a cry of surprise out of Sora, but when he came close to the ground, his fall slowed down by itself as the air itself seemed to bend into shadowy shapes around him. "Your Highness, we've been looking _everywhere_ for you."

"Dark magic," Sora spat out, with more hatred than Riku thought him capable.

His tone left Braig unfazed, and he merely shrugged. "It was a pain to get old Xehanort to send me another trinket, after your toy stole my other one." 'Old Xehanort'—he must have been referring to the Emperor himself. Not that it came as any surprise at this point. "But worth it, don't you think?" He curtsied with a flourish, then raised his arrowguns again, though he didn't aim them at any of them. "Now, no one needs to get hurt. Just come with us."

"And then what?" Sora asked defiantly. "Marry Prince Xehanort and let the Empire take over Ilysoir?"

"Yep, pretty much."

"And am I really supposed to think you're gonna let Aqua or Riku walk freely?"

"Only one way to find out," Braig said, with another, dismissive shrug. His demeanor seemed more bored than anything, leaving Riku on edge. Sure, if he was overconfident, Braig might make a mistake, but Riku couldn't find any opening.

"Aqua," Sora said, softly. "Can you stall them?"

"What?" Braig asked, loudly. "Come on, don't be shy, share with the class!"

"Not for long," Aqua replied in a low voice. "What's your plan?"

"Another way," Sora replied to her. Then, more loudly, he said, "I can't marry Prince Xehanort if I'm already married, right?"

Braig showed a first hint of uncertainty as Sora tore the makeshift scarf from around his neck. The crown pendant he wore glinted in the sunlight when he turned to Riku.

"Now, Aqua," Sora said.

Immediately, Aqua raised her hands, and a dome of light surrounded them, blue and translucent and seemingly as solid as any armor. Yet Riku couldn't wonder at it, because Sora was looking at him with such an intensity as to make him shudder.

"I wish we had more time," Sora said. "I know I got that promise out of you in a rush back then, so if you want to back out, I'll understand. I'll figure out some other way. But this is the only idea I have right now." Riku simply gaped at him as Sora picked his pendant in his hands. " _Kiss me three times, be mine_ ," Sora recited, his voice low and hoarse. The end of the song he'd sung at the ball.

Riku frowned, confused; but then, he felt it. Under his shirt, the pendant he'd stolen from Sora all these years ago, started heating up. A _wedding pendant_ , Sora had called it. Before the ball, Sora said he hadn't activated its enchantment.

Until now.

Sora looked up, eyes wide and hesitant. "Well? Will you? Be mine?" And Riku understood what he meant. Understood what the song meant. What Sora had tried to say when Riku had talked of kissing him again.

So, instead of answering, Riku bent down and kissed him.

Riku wasn't sure what happened after that. His eyes were closed, his world narrowed down to Sora's lips against his and Sora's hand on his side, electric points of contact that set his skin ablaze. Yet beyond that there was something else, too; the heat of the pendant on Riku's chest, and flooding white light behind his eyelids. Was it a good sign or a bad one? Riku couldn't bring himself to worry about it right now. Right now, his every thought was consumed in the act of kissing Sora.

The need for breathing was the only thing that pulled them apart, and even after he did, Riku's eyes remained set on Sora's face for a moment, starry-eyed and bright.

The enormity of what had just happened hadn't hit him yet. Unless it had, and the rush Riku felt in his veins _was_ his reaction to it. It didn't make sense to him, but then again, very little about Sora had.

Finally, his focus returned. They were still in danger, no matter what—

"So you're bound to him," Braig said, attempting to sound mocking but only coming out as desperate. "Big deal! Do you think that'll protect you? We can just make you a widower. Although I'm starting to think it might be easier to just kill you and take over the good old-fashioned way."

Riku turned to look at him, ready to dodge a shot—or push Sora out of the way of one, but Aqua's magical wall held, even if it flickered blue rather than look solid. Yet the sight around him left Riku speechless: past the wall, Braig's soldiers lay face down on the pavement, wisps of white light lingering around them. Only Braig still stood, the dark energies around him pulsing harder as if in response.

"Did we—" he said, uncertain, glancing at Sora. "Did we do that?"

"I may not be a Guardian of Light, or very good at magic," Sora said, "but there are forms of magic even _I_ can use." He smiled up at Riku, taking his hand and knitting their fingers together. " _Love_. The purest form of light magic there is."

The word knocked the air out of Riku's lungs. Love. So that was where they were at, then. It wasn't a shock exactly, though he didn't think Sora could ever return his feelings. Let alone that he already did.

"Get out, Braig," Aqua said, shedding her cloak completely and drawing her sword. "Before I _make_ you."

Braig let out a scoff. "You think this is over? I have the entire Earth District military under my command. This"—he waved at the fallen soldiers around him—"was just the vanguard. You won't make it out of here alive unless I say so."

"We'll see about that!" Aqua raised her sword, ready to strike.

"Why, I wouldn't be surprised if—yep, cavalry's here!"

As Braig said the words, Earth District soldiers poured in from the alleyway behind him—several dozens of them, ready for battle and visibly worried about what had just gone down here. Riku wondered from how far away their light show had been visible. But more importantly—

"Hey, Sora? Can we do that again?"

"I—don't know. The engagement necklace isn't really made to be a weapon. I just channeled the ceremonial magic."

"Lady Aqua?" He wasn't sure how he should address her, considering what had just happened, but he doubted she was the kind of woman to tolerate unwelcome familiarity.

"Too many of them." She lowered her sword, but kept it in hand, and the magic dome around them faded out. There was a calculated determination in her eyes, and Riku hoped that meant she had a plan.

From the rows of city guards, an all-too-familiar face emerged, cutting through the rank to the front. Captain Aeleus—the everlasting bane of Riku's existence, the man who had arrested him and gotten him involved in the palace politics in the first place. Judging by the look on his face, he'd recognized Riku too, in spite of his recent haircut.

"Lieutenant Braig," he saluted. "These the fugitives?"

"Right on time, Captain," Braig said, holstering his arrowguns. "Yep. Take good care of them—General Xemnas will want them alive."

"And what about what your King wants, Captain?" Sora's voice rang loud and surprisingly forceful from Riku's side.

Aeleus eyed him curiously. "I know you. You're his little accomplice, right? I caught you once—never forget a perp's face." He scoffed. "What about what the King wants? He doesn't need to bother himself about _fugitives_."

"Funny," Sora retorted with a snide grin. "I remember most of the faces who were there at _my_ coronation. Which clearly isn't your case."

There was a moment's hesitation on Aeleus's face as he searched Sora's face. His gaze then flicked to Aqua, her full suit of armor and sword, easily recognizable in the sunlight. Then, finally, his gaze turned to Braig, whose face remained remarkably calm.

Until, that is, he took his arrowguns out again and fired them at Aeleus.

"Watch out!" Aqua cried. Another magic wall rose in front of Aeleus, but it only blocked the first few of Braig's shots. Aeleus, however, took out his axe and stood firm; when Braig's shots reached him, he parried every single one of them with hard, wild swings.

Groaning with fury, Aeleus's gaze narrowed on Braig. " _Traitor_."

He charged at Braig, who couldn't reload his arms in time. The axe's dull edge caught him in the stomach, and the force of the blow sent him flying back into the wall behind him.

"Take him," Aeleus hissed, and the nearest guards moved to disarm Braig and restrain him. As they did, Aeleus turned to the three of them again. "My Lady," he said with a respectful bow to Aqua. Then he moved in front of Sora, and fell to his knees. "Your Majesty. I apologize for my behavior. Now, and then."

"You know, Captain, you trying to arrest me may just have been the best thing that ever happened to me." Sora turned to Riku with a smile as he said the words, making Riku blush. "This is all in the past. What matters now is this: General Xemnas and Lieutenant Braig have conspired to take my throne from me and hand it over to the Remnant Empire. Will you stand with me to defend our people?"

Aeleus looked up. "I will, Your Majesty."

* * *

Of all the unexpected things to happen this day, walking side by side with Captain Aeleus towards the Heartroad somehow still managed to reach near the top. It may not be as improbable as the King of Ilysoir asking Riku to marry him while they were both at gunpoint, but perhaps because Aeleus had been such a constant presence in Riku's life, this still _felt_ more surreal.

The Captain was still casting odd looks his way now and then, but he must have noticed the familiar way Sora was acting towards him and decided he did not dare step in. Riku was almost tempted to tell him they were apparently married, too, just to see the look on his face.

 _Married_. Riku was still trying to get used to that notion. The pendant around Sora's neck had changed, the silvery metal of the crown turning into an iridescent, stained-glass looking pattern of blues and pinks, with a hint of aqua green. A golden outline surrounded the crown, and the chain had turned golden as well. When Riku had fished out his own pendant—he was fairly sure he could think of it as truly _his_ now—it had changed similarly. Sora claimed it reflected their union, and though Riku wasn't sure what the meaning of these colors were, Sora looked smugly satisfied with them as he looked at his necklace, and that was enough to make Riku smile, his heart feeling ready to burst.

 _Love_. How shamelessly Sora had said the word, like it didn't cause a storm in Riku's heart. A storm that matched well the ravages the light had caused on Braig's troops, who were now in custody of the Earth District. Riku just hoped there would be no other conspirators within the guards they'd left behind, but there was no way they were bringing them along.

Aeleus had mobilized the entire city guard under his command, and they had joined forces with Aqua's palace guard. Aeleus had also sent word to the other Districts, and when they reached the Heartroad, the forces of the Wind, Ice, Illusion, Fire and Light Districts had all come to meet them in alliance.

"Nil and Moon Districts' soldiers are at the palace, with General Xemnas," Aeleus said gruffly. "Space is still on lockdown to keep your troops there, Lady Aqua."

"What does that mean about the other Districts?" Riku couldn't help but ask, worried. Water, Time, Flower, Lightning—they could easily turn the tide one way or the other.

"Hard to say," Aqua replied. "They could be loyal to Xemnas, or struggling with the forces he sent from the Space District. Or they could be waiting to see who comes on top."

"We can't wait to find out," Sora said. "We managed to gather these forces too fast to give Xemnas time to react."

"This could be dangerous, Your Majesty," Aeleus pointed out.

Sora shook his head obstinately. "It will be dangerous no matter what we do."

"Braig's magic ring," Riku pointed out. They had found the ring on him once he had been subdued, and Riku had recognized in it the same aura he felt coming off of the locket in his pocket—the scent of dark magic. The ring now rested in Riku's other pocket, no one having dared to stop him from taking it as evidence. "He said he got it _after_ I stole the locket from him. That means Xemnas has already reached out to the Empire."

"They could be marching on us as we speak," Aqua surmised.

Riku nodded. "It would make sense. Even if Xemnas couldn't get Sora to marry their Prince, it would be easy to conquer Ilysoir in the midst of a civil war. I think—" He paused, uncertain how to address Sora now that Aeleus was among them. "I think His Majesty is right. We need to move fast. Deal with the threats separately rather than at the same time."

"You can still call me Sora, you know," Sora said with a thin smile. "That _is_ my name, after all." He turned his smile to Aeleus, who practically choked with indignation. "That goes for you too, Captain."

"I—could never do that, Your Majesty."

"You may have to, sooner or later," Sora simply said, before turning his attention back to the castle in front of them. "I don't completely agree with you, Riku. We already have two threats right here, and we _can't_ deal with them separately. The Space District's military is the largest, and we can't leave it at our back if they decide to leave their district." Turning to Aqua, he added, "Besides—we have friends who need our help."

Aqua nodded. "I can—"

Sora shook his head. "I need you with me, Aqua. Captain Aeleus, you will lead the Earth and Fire Districts' forces to reclaim Space and the rest of the palace guard while we storm the castle."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Storm the castle?" Riku asked after Aeleus left to carry out orders. "You're optimistic."

"I am. And I'm also in some serious need of a thief."

* * *

The royal palace of Ilysoir wasn't meant as a military stronghold; the city itself, sprawling and massive around it, had always been intended as its protection, and the palace would protect it in return. At least in theory.

So when the forces of several districts came to the gates of the palace grounds, there was little that could be done to stop them from entering. No structural defenses to stop them.

However, once they were in the palace grounds, Xemnas's forces immediately kept them in check almost instantly. Guns and arrows and the rare burst of magic kept the soldiers across from one another, the palace gardens between them, their immaculate beauty tarnished with every new shot, every new attempt from Sora's forces to cross, or from Xemnas's forces to drive them back completely. They were gauging each other, awaiting for something to shift the tide.

In spite of Sora's impatience, he made them all wait until the sun was almost setting before launching his assault proper. And once the sun had set completely, he turned his gaze to Riku, and Riku nodded grimly. Before he could leave, Sora caught his hand and pulled him in for a kiss.

"I believe in you," Sora whispered against his lips as they parted.

"I promised to be by your side." Riku did his best to ignore the scandalized looks of the officers around them as he left.

They were awaiting for something to shift the tide, and in Sora's plan, _he_ was meant to be that something.

It felt like forever ago that Riku had been scaling these walls, with Sora awaiting him in the bedroom that doubled as his jail cell, looking for evidence of a plot. Now he was doing it again, the plot exposed, in an attempt to put an end to it. That wall felt almost like an old friend, welcoming with its rough surface full of holds he could use to lift himself up.

He soon stood on the outer wall of the palace grounds, above Sora's forces. Away from the palace, though there were places where the battlements were connected to the palace proper through walkways and suspended bridges. Xemnas would have those entrances watched, no doubt—or at least, Riku had to assume they were. But Riku wasn't looking to enter the palace through one of those. All he needed was a window. And he knew just the one.

The archives' tower loomed over the gardens, close enough that Riku was confident he could reach and scale it undetected. It wouldn't be easy: he could spot the lanterns dotting the battlements between him and the tower, each announcing the presence of Xemnas's guards, ready to raise the alarm should Sora send soldiers to try and sneak around Xemnas's main force. He couldn't just _walk_ there, that much was clear.

But Riku wasn't a soldier, and he wasn't going to walk. Instead, he climbed down the palace walls on the outer side, scaling them sideways towards the tower, past the guards.

The process was long, and exhausting, forcing him to pull himself back up on the battlement every time he was far enough past one of the sentries so he could catch his breath and rest his muscles. Each sound of skirmish reached him like it was announcing Sora's downfall and his failure, but every time he looked at the palace gardens, it was still locked in a standstill. The sight of it filled him with determination to keep going every time.

Riku felt like his arms were about to give out by the time he was at the tower, yet he climbed it too, wincing at the burning feeling in his arms. And then, finally, he pulled himself up through the window, into the archive room.

He wasn't here for information, this time—none of the documents here would help them win a battle. Instead, he opened the trapdoor on the floor, grabbing the magic lantern with him as he walked down. The room below was just as dark and silent as the one atop the tower, and mercifully empty.

This was a repository of magical items—Riku had almost burst out laughing when Sora told him. He'd been walking right above a treasure trove of items of phenomenal powers, and he'd been stunned by a _lamp_.

There were no weapons here, Sora had explained. The royal family of Ilysoir destroyed any such item that came into their possession, thinking them too dangerous to even exist. Any magic that the kingdom wielded in battle was entrusted to a select few trained experts, not stored in items anyone could use. Besides, even if there had been a weapon here, it wasn't Sora's goal to wipe out the forces Xemnas had gathered.

"They're fighting for him now, but how many of them are actually loyal to him?" he'd pointed out. "I can't be a good King and kill so many of my own people. And besides, if you're right about the Empire, we may need their help soon."

No, Sora's idea involved a wholly different sort of tool.

The vault was much more of a mess than Sora had described—one that led Riku to wonder if Xemnas hadn't also had the idea to come here to find something to use in the upcoming battle. The room was high-ceilinged and windowless, and its ornately carved walls gave it the look of a mythical tomb. But as Riku came down the spiraling staircase to the floor, he found papers scattered all over it, boxes torn open and abandoned with their content half-flooding out, shelves stripped clean of their contents—unless said contents were the items scattered on the floor below them.

If anything was missing from this place, Riku doubted anyone who wasn't keenly familiar with it would be able to tell in this chaos. The shelf Sora had told him about was unsurprisingly empty, but Riku wasn't going to give up just yet. There was a chance it was still there.

He began searching, as methodically as he could, trying to contain his nerves telling him that every moment he wasted here was one Sora could be killed out there. He went past strange keys, heavy shields, strangely-shaped staffs, and gloves that ended in a single, massive point over the wearer's fingers. He tried his best to sort through the sheets of paper scattered underfoot, hoping to find some kind of hint. Most were treatises on magic, one of them catching his eye with the phrase 'scent of dark magic'. Perhaps he could do something with this information, if the main plan were to fail.

Against all odds, he found what he was looking for under the piles of paper: a pair of blue yo-yos, made of some unusual metal and stamped with a mark Riku didn't recognize. A child's toy, at first glance, but according to Sora, they were exactly what they needed.

Shoving them in his pockets, Riku went back to the tower's top floor and began to climb down its exterior. It would have been faster to use the tunnel that connected the tower to the palace's lower level, and he and Sora had talked about the possibility, but there was too much of a chance they would be guarded, especially seeing the state of the vault—it clearly hadn't escaped Xemnas's notice. Climbing some more to get inside the palace proper seemed like the safest option.

From the top of the tower, Riku saw activity in the gardens, and his heart briefly sank as he feared he was too late. Troops were pouring in from beyond the outer gates, at the back of Sora's forces; but after a moment, he realized they weren't fighting. When Riku spotted the bright armors worn by palace guards, Riku understood: the fighting in the Space District must have ended—in their favor. The tide was finally shifting.

Xemnas must have sensed the danger he was in, because some of his forces started to engage Sora's troops in the open. Sora now had him outnumbered, but as long as they were trapped within the gardens, this wouldn't amount to much of an advantage. Sora would likely win a fight of attrition, but the results would be bloody. Perhaps Xemnas did not care how much he had to sacrifice—perhaps that was even his main goal, if survival was no longer an option.

That meant Riku had to hurry, and put an end to the fighting as quickly as possible. He began the climb down the tower, resisting the urge to turn around to look, and made the trek back to the bedroom he had occupied at the palace.

He didn't know how he expected to feel about being back here, but a strange sense of nostalgia flooded him when he did. When he lay his eyes over the room, left untouched since he had left it to go to the ball, all he could think was the way Sora had been sitting on the couch, looking at him with a suit neatly folded in his hands and saying _They look perfect_. Or how Sora had looked when he had barged in on Riku, asleep and naked in bed. It felt unimportant, yet it was all Riku could think about.

"Talk about a wedding day," he muttered under his breath, even if there was no one to appreciate his sarcasm.

After all the climbing, Riku felt ready to collapse; and yet, the most important, and possibly the hardest stretch was still ahead of him. He had to find the perfect spot to use the yo-yos within the palace, which was hard considering he barely knew its layout. Sora and Aqua had done their best to brief him, and he knew the way to the throne room fairly well from memory alone, so they had chosen the council chamber—which was adjacent to it—as his destination.

This left the issue of the rotation of the palace's occupants. Would there be a lot of guards inside the palace, or would Xemnas focus on the entrances? There was no way of knowing. Their plan might go awry the moment Riku opened this door.

Riku allowed himself one minute to rest from all the climbing, then he placed his hand on the door handle, took a deep breath, and turned in. The door came open without resistance, which was a relief in and of itself, and there was no one in the hallway outside. Releasing his breath into a sigh of relief, Riku slipped outside as quietly as he could, and started making his way to the lower floors.

The palace was empty and silent, feeling almost haunted. It left Riku on edge, not just for all the questions it raised—where were all the palace's normal occupants, the staff?—but also because of how _exposed_ it made him feel. Even the quietest steps sounded like thunder amidst all the echoes, and Riku felt a creeping sense of dread, like the only reason no guard had shown up was because they could just track him by sound alone.

It was almost a relief when Riku heard voices as he reached the door to the council chamber, even as it sent his heart racing. Xemnas's unique voice was among them; he must have gathered his war council here. Riku supposed it made sense, and even if they had expected him to be in the throne room, it only made a slight dent in the plan.

There was just one stretch of hallway and a turn around one corner from where Riku stood to the throne room's doors. The distance was laughably short, yet Riku was certain he had never felt so scared when he peered around the corner. No guards were present here either, however. When Riku reached the throne room's doors, instead of barging in, he knocked, then found refuge behind a tapestry right next to the door. Only when there was no response did he dare walk into the throne room.

Riku had only come here once, for his trial, and he hadn't been in the best shape at the time, so he hadn't really gotten to see how _grand_ the room was. The effect was magnified now that it was empty; the absurdity of the throne's height, the back several times the height of a man, more apparent now that Riku could walk up to it rather than be forced to kneel from a distance. Yet this was the perfect place to put the plan in motion.

Taking the yo-yos from his pocket in one hand, he grabbed his necklace in the other, and focused on Sora. Using magic wasn't something he had any experience with, but Sora had promised that using a magical item would be easy.

With a deep breath to calm himself, Riku thrust one of the yo-yos forward, and with a gasp of relief, saw it vanish in front of his own eyes, leaving a golden glyph in the air where the yo-yo's string was seemingly cut off. Now all Riku could hope for was that the other portal had appeared in the right place.

His knees almost gave out under him when Sora emerged from the golden glyph, a bright smile on his face. "You did it!" he greeted him, his words echoing through the throne room in spite of his efforts to speak quietly.

Riku couldn't help but smile back, surprised at how much _worry_ he suddenly felt melting down within him, just for seeing Sora again. He nodded wordlessly. "The troops?"

Sora turned back to the portal behind him. "They should—"

"Follow? I doubt it."

Xemnas's honeyed voice preceded his entrance into the throne room from the back door that connected it to the council chamber. Behind him were elite troops from the Nil District, clad in dark cloaks. Tensing up, Riku glanced at the portal behind him, but it faded with no other reinforcements coming through.

"Xemnas!" Sora said, his voice tense with barely-contained fury.

Riku didn't bother with anger; he took the remaining yo-yo and tried thrusting it forward, but it only fell to the floor, useless. "What—"

"Did you think Braig was the only one equipped with dark magic from our friends? Your Majesty was only able to get through that portal because I allowed it."

"You—" Riku's voice broke. It was a trap—one Riku had triggered. And now, instead of getting Sora's forces past Xemnas to cut him down with minimal bloodshed, it was Sora at Xemnas's mercy.

The soldiers closed in on them, and Riku moved to stand in front of Sora, even though he knew that it was pointless. Aqua had given him a sword before he'd left, but even if he could live long enough to draw it now, he doubted it would be much of a contest.

The soldiers were content, however, to stand two steps away from him, forming a circle around Sora and Riku. Through that circle walked Xemnas, who came to face Riku. He was close enough to touch, but what could Riku do right now that wouldn't result in immediate disaster?

"Riku, was it? Oh, yes, I remember your trial all too well. Your Majesty should have had you executed when he had the chance. Things would not have come to this, but for your meddling." His eyes fell to the pendant, hanging out of Riku's shirt in plain sight. "From a waste of a man to a King's consort." Xemnas sounded almost impressed. "With such ambition, you could easily be one of us."

"Ambition?" Riku snarled at him. "That's not what drives me."

"No? Yet you are a thief—sometimes for hire, or so I'm led to understand."

"That was survival. Something I doubt you've ever had to worry about. You don't get to judge me."

"Judge you? You're too inconsequential to be worth the hassle. I've already spared more thoughts for you than you are truly worth."

His backhanded blow caught Riku by surprise, hitting him with unsuspected force and causing Riku to fall to his knees. "Riku!" Sora called, crouching over him, as if to protect him with his own body. "Whatever you're going to do to me, leave him out of this! I'm the one you want."

"Ah, but you made sure that I could not leave him out of this when you gave him that pendant, Your Majesty," Xemnas taunted.

As Riku pushed himself off the floor, he saw the pain in Sora's eyes, all too familiar. He reached out to take Sora's hand. "No blaming yourself, remember? We promised."

Sora glanced at him, and after a second, forced the distress off of his face. "Right," he said forcefully. "There's only one person to blame, and that's _you_ , Xemnas!"

Xemnas let out a sound that could have been a laugh, if it hadn't been so utterly joyless. "Blame me, if it makes it easier."

"I can do more than that to make it easier," Sora retorted. The next moment, he kissed Riku, who gasped against Sora's lips in surprise. For a still moment, nothing happened; then, Riku felt a familiar heat against his chest, and his vision filled with pure, white light. He had to close his eyes against the onslaught, even as he felt that the light wasn't directed at him, wouldn't— _couldn't_ —hurt him.

When the light faded, Riku opened his eyes, looking around in confusion. Xemnas's soldiers were down, just like Braig's had been; but just like Braig, Xemnas still stood, surrounded by a dark aura, although he had retreated across the throne room. Sora collapsed in Riku's arms the moment their lips parted, but though his eyes were unfocused, they were open, and he was breathing.

"I thought you couldn't—"

"That took a lot out of me," Sora said weakly, then he leaned against Riku's chest, closing his eyes

"You were amazing," Riku said. "Now I'll finish this." He wasn't sure where the confidence came from, but Sora had done too much for Riku not to bring them over the finish line now. "Can you stand?"

Sora only shook his head in response. With a sigh, Riku glanced at Xemnas, who was walking towards them again, an assured look on his face.

"Sorry," he whispered in Sora's ear, before standing up, leaving Sora on the throne room's floor. "It's you and me now, Xemnas."

"Indeed. And what are you going to do that the King of Ilysoir's strongest light magic couldn't accomplish?"

"It's _my_ magic too," he said. "But it's not all of it."

"No? Are you going to rob me?"

Now that Riku's attention was fully on Xemnas, he could see the aura around him. A familiar scent floated in the air, one Riku had known a long time, but only found a name for today. The scent of darkness. And if those treatises were right— "Something like that, maybe," Riku said, smiling to himself.

With a scoff, Xemnas drew his blades and charged at Riku. Riku didn't bother drawing the sword at his back; instead, his hands went into his pockets, finding the locket and the ring stashed there. They had belonged to Braig once, but the scent that lingered on them wasn't _his_ , but the scent of a far more primordial force.

Just before Xemnas cut him down, Riku thrust out the hand holding the ring, and a dark barrier formed around himself and Sora, stopping the blow. Xemnas recoiled with a grunt, surprise painting his features, but Riku wasn't done. He raised his other hand, holding the pendant, and let its energies pour into him. A giant, dark hand formed in front of him, like an extension of his arm: he reached for Xemnas, clutching him completely between the giant fingers, lifting him up in the air and holding him still.

Slipping the ring on his finger, Riku finally drew his sword, and charged at Xemnas. But instead of the blade connecting, it, and Riku after it, passed through Xemnas completely, making him howl in pain.

In Riku's hand was a key, forged elaborately in dark metal, with a blue gem embedded in the center, looking like an eye. A key dripping with the scent of darkness. The source of Xemnas's dark magic.

Riku released his hold on the magic coursing through him, and the hand holding Xemnas vanished. He dropped down, and collapsed to the floor into a heap. "It's over, Xemnas."

Rolling onto his back, Xemnas cast him a horrified look. "You—but _how_ —"

With a shrug, Riku walked past him silently, towards Sora. Sora pushed himself up when Riku came closer, eyeing him cautiously. "Riku?" he said, worry seeping into his voice. "Are you—okay?"

With a smile, Riku lowered himself to his knees so their eyes were level. "I am. It's over."

"But—that was dark magic. Did you—"

"I had no idea I could do that," Riku admitted. "Just—an inkling."

"And you feel okay?"

Instead of answering, Riku kissed him. Sora tensed up, but only briefly, melting against Riku's lips as he returned the kiss.

When they parted, and Riku opened his eyes, light whirled in the air around him. "I think I am?" he said simply, grinning at Sora.

Yelping in joy, Sora threw his arms around Riku, tearing a laugh from his throat. "You're okay!" Sora said, voice cracking with relief.

With a chuckle, Riku tore himself away from Sora's arms. "We have one more thing to do before this is truly over," he said, picking up the remaining yo-yo where he'd dropped it on the floor. With Xemnas's magic out of commission, the portal opened, this time; as soon as it did, Aqua rushed through the opening, followed by more soldiers. Riku recognized Terra and Roxas, as they had both guarded his room during his brief stay at the palace; the man with them who looked identical to Roxas must be Ventus. The three of them and Aqua converged on Sora instantly, while the other soldiers spread out across the room, making sure to restrain Xemnas and his fallen soldiers.

"When the portal closed, I feared—" Aqua started, but cut herself off to take Sora in her arms.

Sora chuckled into her shoulder, returning the embrace. "I was afraid too. But Riku saved us. Once more."

All eyes turned to Riku, who shuffled on his feet, feeling self-conscious. "I—Sora did most of the job, really. I only took out Xemnas."

"But I couldn't have done any of it without you," Sora insisted, tearing himself from Aqua's arms. "Without—" He delicately took Riku's pendant in his fingers, almost reverently. " _This_."

Riku didn't need to know what _this_ was. "Love," he said. Even after defeating a general armed with dark magic, saying the word still felt daunting, especially with their audience.

Sora nodded. "Love. I love you, Riku. Probably should have started there before I asked you to marry me, but—"

" _Marry_ you?" Ventus blurted out from the side, but Sora's eyes remained fixed on Riku. Waiting.

And, well. Riku had decided not to lie to himself anymore. The least he could do was include Sora in that promise. "I love you too, Sora."


	6. Epilogue

The fighting died down once the palace fell from the inside, Xemnas's forces ending up surrounded from all sides. Some soldiers surrendered as soon as Sora stepped out, realizing they had been made to fight against their own King. Others claimed to have been under Xemnas's influence, and while there was no way to verify this, Riku guessed Sora was right to let them be, given that they had no other way of knowing that Xemnas was using dark magic at all.

Some of Xemnas's soldiers refused to surrender at all, but they were vastly outnumbered and with no way out. They were quickly subdued, and taken to the various Districts for holding until it could be decided what to do with them.

The staff and guests had been sent underground for safety, a surprising gesture of kindness coming from Xemnas—or at least, so Riku thought until he realized that the staff had attempted its own revolt, many of them having witnessed Xemnas's coup firsthand.

There was still a lot to solve. Xemnas and Braig had left a power vacuum, and their respective Districts' entire military had sided with them against the king. There was the question of the other Districts, too, who had stayed out of the conflict altogether. The vassals of Ilysoir, who needed to be informed that the problem had been resolved. The possible impending threat of the Remnant Empire.

None of these were what Sora chose to start with. Throughout the rest of the night, he had his officers run to the Districts, and they kept bringing back people from each of them. Riku recognized those from the Earth districts—a couple of merchants, a street performer, and, of all people, Fuu, the look on whose face when she noticed Riku at the King's side was positively priceless.

Still, even to Riku, Sora didn't explain himself until sunrise, when people of all districts, the palace staff, officers of the military, and some of the palace guests who were still awake, were summoned to the throne room.

Sora stood in front of the throne itself, but didn't sit on it. "I called you all here because I have an announcement to make. As your King." He smiled to himself at those words, briefly pausing. "I'm sure you've all been informed of what happened over the past couple of days, so I won't repeat it here and now. Instead, I'll go straight to the point." He paused, his gaze flickering to Riku, as if begging him for strength. Without a care for decorum, Riku walked up to the throne, placing himself by Sora's side and holding his hand. "When I was forced to run away from the palace, I was given a lot to think about. About my role, as King of Ilysoir. About the challenges our kingdom's people even face, and how many of these problems are the direct result of my existence."

A whisper briefly ran across the room, and Riku felt himself shudder. "Are you sure—" he whispered, but Sora continued.

"As you know, it is tradition for the names of members of the royal family of Ilysoir to be kept a secret, even on our most secret records." Another pause, but there was no uncertainty in his gaze now—this was deliberate. "My name is Sora. And I will no longer be your king. In fact, Ilysoir will no longer _have_ kings."

This time, the whisper erupted into a full-blow clamor. Some people among the crowd looked shocked, others horrified; yet others still looked on with keen interest, and he saw elation on Fuu's features.

Ignoring all of that, Sora pressed on. "I will make sure the country transitions into a better system, one where every citizen gets a voice. But not as a leader. As a protector, as best as I can be—if you'll have me. A new kind of Guardian of Light for a new era." He turned his gaze to Riku, readjusting his grip on Riku's hand. "For too long, we've kept our magic exclusive to the powerful, and our power to the few. No more."

* * *

Sunlight streaming on his eyelids woke Riku up, but he didn't open his eyes just yet. The familiar warmth of the body pressed next to him, the soothing scent of Sora's hair against his nose, those were things he only rarely got to enjoy quietly, and if he was to be awake, he could at least indulge for a moment.

Sora stirring against him convinced Riku to open his eyes at last, if only so he could get a glimpse of his sleeping face before he woke up. If only so he could see the moment Sora's own eyes opened, focused on him, and lit up with the warmest smile.

"Good morning," Sora said. "Husband."

Even after three months, the word still made Riku's heart thunder every time he heard it, and he was starting to seriously doubt that there would ever be any getting used to it for him. That suited him just fine, though: getting used to it would mean giving up on this rush, and Riku didn't think he ever wanted that. He'd taken twenty-six years to even find someone he could love at all. He wasn't about to let that be dulled by _routine_.

"Good morning," he said, returning Sora's smile. "Sleep well?"

"Always, with you here," Sora said, pressing his face to Riku's chest. Riku automatically wrapped an arm behind Sora's back, and pulled him closer, rolling onto his back so Sora could lie on top of him. Sora yelped in surprise, then giggled against him before pressing a kiss to the crook of Riku's neck. "We're gonna be late," Sora protested, feigning to struggle against Riku's iron grip, but laughing all the while. "It's our first day!"

"It's _your_ first day," Riku pointed out with a merciless grin. "I've been going through training just fine for a month."

"Yeah, yeah. It's like I had a whole country to take apart and rebuild, or something." Sora was no longer King, but he was still leading the efforts to remake Ilysoir from the ground up—if only because no one else would take that charge. Besides, some of the vassal states still refused to respect any authority but Sora's—a fact which irked him greatly. Change would take time; they may not even live to see the end of it, but if anyone could do it, Riku had faith it was Sora.

"And you are doing a fantastic job of it, if you ask me."

Sora laid his cheek on Riku's chest and sighed. "I'd rather just train with you. I miss you when you're off—and Aqua, too."

It had been Aqua's idea to train Riku, after he'd shown magical potential in his fight against Xemnas. They still did not quite understand why he had been able to channel dark magic from the Empire's tools without being affected by its corruption, or why he seemed to show some affinity for the light magic Aqua herself had trained to use, but they were taking it one step at a time.

It was experimental, and some days Riku couldn't manage much; but even then, though he never said as much to Aqua, there was something thrilling about learning a knight's technique. He could easily picture himself guarding Sora, like Aqua had for so long. The image did not look altogether unpleasant.

Still, Riku had been the one to suggest training Sora too, since he had shown his own ability to use magic against Braig and Xemnas. He may never be a Guardian of Light, but there was no denying his power—and since he no longer was King, there was no tradition stopping him from becoming a fighter in his own right. Today was the first day Sora's busy schedule cleared enough to make that a reality.

"Come on, Riku," Sora chided him. "We gotta get up."

In response, Riku pulled Sora up so he could kiss him, tender yet firm, one hand threaded through Sora's hair. He could feel Sora smiling against his lips, leaning further into the kiss, and for a moment, Riku was tempted to call off training and spend all morning here, just the two of them, together.

That was, of course, not meant to be. Their bedroom door flew open, and Aqua barged into the room, already in full armor. "Knew you wouldn't be out of bed yet," she said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Hey!" Sora called out, pulling the covers over him and pressing his face to Riku's chest again, as if to hide. "Some privacy for your King?"

"You're not my King anymore, and you're _not_ wasting my time."

It was all Riku could do not to laugh. "It's my fault, actually."

"Don't care, and I'd _really_ rather not know. We only have time to train this morning. The council is gathering to talk about the situation in Oblivion right after noon."

From under the cover, Sora peeked at Riku with an apologetic grin.

"You didn't tell me about that," Riku chided him.

Sora shrugged. "I didn't think it'd be a problem?"

The first few days after Xemnas's coup had been spent in expectation of an imperial force descending upon them, but that had never happened. Finally, just last month, word had reached them that the Emperor had been assassinated, leaving the Remnant Empire in chaos as some factions didn't acknowledge Prince Xehanort as his successor. This was good news—infighting in the Empire meant less risk for the rest of them—until the imperial prince marched on Oblivion. It was either a show of strength, or a pursuit of some larger plan, but it did not matter: Oblivion was an ally of Ilysoir, its Oracle another prominent figure in keeping the Empire's dark magic at bay, and they needed to help. It was all a matter of what to do, and how.

So many things that the King would have decided, once. And in spite of not being King, Sora's advice was still in high demand.

With a sigh, Riku relinquished his hold on him. At least they'd spend the morning together. "Okay," he said. "Just give us time to get ready." Aqua didn't hide her skeptical look, but stepped outside, making a show of leaving the door open.

They had taken residence in Riku's room at the royal palace, a compromise between leaving it altogether, which had been Sora's idea, the council begging for Sora to remain here in some capacity, and then Sora insisting to leave the royal apartments empty as a symbol that there really was no more King. Riku couldn't help but feel a vague sense of regret that he still hadn't gotten to see the space that had once been Sora's, but he couldn't deny the familiarity he felt at the sight of this room, especially now that they had both filled it with personal touches.

It felt like home, something Riku hadn't ever truly had, though as he watched Sora make his way to their clothing chest, Riku knew that the place was only a small part of that feeling.

He forced himself out of bed, the pendant around his neck catching the light and casting reflections on Sora's face. Riku was pretty sure the magic within it made it happen on purpose, but it made him smile every time. "You're gonna have to dress less fancy for this," Riku pointed out.

Sora merely stuck out his tongue at him. "And _you're_ gonna have to get dressed at all."

"Are you sure? Something tells me you wouldn't mind this look _too_ much."

The flush that came to Sora's cheek was as lovely as ever. "Maybe if we were alone, but with Aqua there?"

Riku chuckled. "You're right." He grabbed the first clothes he could get his hands on, putting them on without ever letting his gaze leave Sora. "Oh well," he said with a grin.

Sora walked closer to him and placed a quick kiss on his lips, retreating before Riku could catch him. "My evening is clear, though," he said in a low voice. Then, before Riku could react, he headed out of the room, greeting Aqua loudly as he did.

With a smile, Riku allowed them a moment together to catch up before he followed them outside. They were his family now; something else Riku had a hard time wrapping his mind around.

All this because a prince ran away from home, because a thief stole a necklace, and the prince stole a kiss in return. Then the thief stole another kiss, as they met again and grew to trust each other. And a third kiss, given freely to belong to one another.

And all the kisses afterwards…well, each was its own kind of magic.


End file.
